The Dark Sound
by Wiggy
Summary: So Kel finally knows the truth about the Nightworld, Bloodmoon, and Redfern Records, but at a terrible price. And now she's out for revenge. But is it the whole truth? Maybe things go a little deeper than she suspected... UPDATED 14/06/03! Please r/r!
1. Deadline

Heyla! This is only my second story, so please will ya just take a minute or two to review? I just wanted also to say that the idea for this was from a flash of divine and scary inspiration. I just had to write down. So we'll see how it goes for now. Any suggestions or comments, criticism or praise, would be adored.  
  
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Night time is when people should sleep. For the majority, sleep is invited, at around 10 o clock, say, when they get into bed voluntarily, looking forward to the comforting oblivion and opportunity for rest it provides. But when sleep comes to the unwary or unwilling, it stalks them silently, slowly, before it mercilessly and swiftly attacks the prey, wrestling them into unconsciousness shoving them cruelly into a jumbled up, kaleidoscopic world where reality, fantasy, the past and sometimes the future collide. They form a surreal and utterly nonsensical vision where the truth is all around, but it is so messed up that it appear to be lies, and the dream is waiting to be discovered, just round the corner of the terrifying nightmare.  
  
As Kelsey Murdoch tumbled dazedly into wakeful consciousness, she knew, albeit unconsciously, that last night she had not welcomed sleep, and therefore had spent the most exhausting, draining and terrifying night of her life in a never-ending nightmare, one that she had been trying to avoid. This was because, quite simply, she had not been planning on going to sleep at all. But unfortunately, the sandman had crept up on her and generally smothered her into drowsy sleep without her even realising.  
  
Wearily lifting her sleep-tousled head, she grimaced and squinted as the brash glare of the neon office lights confronted her tired, sleepy green eyes. She wondered just who had left the lights on, and why she was draped over the desk in such a stupid manner. Blinking rapidly as she compensated for the harsh illuminations, she felt absolutely listless and pretty much half dead. The other half of her was even worse than dead. But she knew that if she didn't move sometime soon, she would be in big trouble. With a grunt of effort, she levered her fatigued body from the desktop, where it had lain slumped in slumber as her treacherous body deceived her. After several exhausting efforts, she managed to position herself a little better, reclining almost lazily in her chair. Kelsey was suddenly grateful that she'd managed to get the well-upholstered, comfortable and soft piece of furniture into her office, much to her boss' chagrin.  
  
Boss. Kelsey was suddenly wide awake, even though she felt terrible. Things had to be done. It wasn't as if she had inadvertently stayed at work all night for nothing. She stared at her watch for a long while, waiting for the numbers to stop dancing around. 6:01 am, it read, but even so she was not 100% sure. She decided to take a chance. As soon as she thought this, she remembered that Abba song of old, and groaned as the catchy lyrics implanted themselves into her weary, sleep infested brain.  
  
"Dear Lord, please, not Abba again," she muttered in desperation as she rubbed her aching jaw, feeling it click painfully. The last this she needed was cheesy europop this early on a Tuesday morning.  
  
Drawing on the last reserves of energy she had, she sprang to her feet, and with a bit of stumbling and sleep-blurred malaise she managed to make it to the bathroom in one piece, generally. The small collision with the ornamental cactus plant in the hall was nothing major. Kelsey inspected the scratches on her arms and grinned inanely. It had been one hell of a fight, but the cactus had come off worse, she thought, simultaneously thinking that she was suffering from some sort of sleep-deprived insanity. She instinctively shuddered as she looked up into the mirror.  
  
Glaring at her in a slightly disturbing manner, was her very own reflection. Kelsey wasn't at all sure whether she was pretty or ugly. Certainly she was striking, her poker-straight brown hair, almost black but not quite, contrasted with her shockingly emerald coloured eyes and pale skin, but she was short, only 5 foot 5. But ugliness can strike you just as hard as beauty. And anyway, she wouldn't trust her eyesight this early in the morning. In a leisurely manner she swore at her sleep-blurred likeness as she turned the taps on.  
  
Dousing her face liberally with water, she immediately felt refreshed and just a bit more capable of meeting her looming deadline. Ugh.  
  
Remembering her task, she hurried back to her desk, hysterical panic beginning to set in. This time however, she avoided the lethal cactus of doom, though she had a close run-in with a water dispenser. Brushing the water from her trousers, she was infinitely glad that she had had the foresight to wear her oldest pair of jeans. They were still pretty nice though, and a little water would not hurt them much.  
  
As she sat down again, she looked at the screen of the computer. She had made quite a good start on the article, she'd written almost 2 columns, but at the end a string of nonsense had been typed in quick succession. She stabbed the backspace key malevolently to delete the rubbish, realising that in her sleep she must have leant on the keyboard. After she'd cleared it away, she settled down into her chair and began to type, ignoring the shooting, tingly pains that rushed to her fingertips each time they pressed down. Now it was time to get down to business, to finish this off before anyone entered the office.  
  
As she mindlessly typed away, blathering on about the revival of drum and bass in the Pimlico clubs of London, she found herself drifting into a reverie, brought on by exhaustion and the warmth of the sun through the office window as it rose higher and higher in the sky giving her a false sense of comfort and security. Landing a summer job at The Sound, London's leading music weekly that even rivalled Q magazine in sales and beat it hands down for popularity, had been the most amazing thing that had happened to her for a long time. The experience was fantastic. But there was one thing blighting her life at the moment, and that was her boss. Jake Tremaine was the testiest, most vindictive and underhand person she had ever had the displeasure to meet, let alone work for. As soon as she had started work, he had singled her out to be one of the sole victims of his reign of terror, being far harder on her than anyone else. Even people who were twice as old and half as good as Kel had been treated better than she had. And that was why she'd forced herself to stay at work late. Because a night without sleep was nothing compared to the wrath she would incur over a missed deadline.  
  
Tap, tap, tap. Even the slight clicks of the keys were pounding in her brain like sledgehammers, ripping out her grey matter with wicked intentions. Her fingers flew faster, not daring to look at the time for fear that she would waste precious seconds as she glanced aside from her work. Like a robot, she word-processed mechanically, methodically, and emotionlessly, letting her thoughts flow seamlessly through her onto the blindingly white page, slowly but surely covering it. Slowly but surely.  
  
... and it looks as if an unprecedented resurgence of musical creativity has once again found its way back to the streets of Pimlico, where through new talents like DJ Mochinas, it has once again become the ancestral home of the newest and definitely the most original drum and base tunes in the world. Kel couldn't help but smile with glee as she wrote the last sentence of her article...  
  
"Kelsey, what are you doing here? It's seven thirty." The words, so sharp and shocking, grated Kel's nerves and scared her witless, paralysing her body in horror. She knew exactly whose voice that was. The hard, arrogant ring it had was unmistakable.  
  
Mentally calling out for mercy, she looked to the door. And, sure enough, there stood the infamous Jake, one of The Sound's editors, and her dearly beloved boss. An incredulous scowl was plastered across his face.  
  
"Hi... Jake... er..." she said falteringly, a blush rising on her cheeks for no apparent reason, excuses desperately forming on her lips.  
  
"Well?" he said, glowering at her, his own shock at finding her here still lingering in his frosty, pale blue eyes, eyes that looked washed out and painfully unemotional. She contemplated of how awful she must look, and any vestige of self-esteem she held within her withered and died at the thought.  
  
"Well," she began, but he interrupted her.  
  
"What's that?" he asked, gesturing to the screen. Her inner voice screamed at him to go away, but conversely, he approached the computer at a surprisingly hurried pace.  
  
"Oh, nothing," she demurred, panic rising to the surface made her voice sound shrill and very guilty. Kel couldn't help but curse herself for being so transparent. She couldn't have sounded more suspicious if she'd tried.  
  
"Nothing, huh?" he grinned mockingly, but it never reached his eyes. Nothing could thaw this icy son of a bitch. He still advanced. When Jake got to her desk, he immediately began to read from the screen.  
  
Alarm bells rang violently in her head as he leant dangerously close to her in order to read her work. Unable to stop him, she resolved at least to get away. She sprang from her chair like a rabbit from a hat, taking scant refuge in being as far from her boss as was humanly possible, even if it meant squeezing next to a small potted palm in the corner.  
  
Kel scanned his face as he read the piece with lighting fast eye movements. His classically handsome, sharply sculpted features remained blank, his gaze unfathomably brooding, his golden hair shining in the watery early morning light that streamed through the window. Jake wasn't that much older than she was, he was about 20 by her reckoning. And he had the smug personality to match his cold, indifferent good looks.  
  
Catching her by surprise again, Jake turned to face her. Embarrassed that he had sensed her intense study of him, she blushed again. She hated blushing.  
  
His face was impassive. "The article is great," he stated flatly, and hope surged within Kel, as she mentally celebrated. "But," he said, "why are you here?" and the hope died again, replaced by brutal dread.  
  
"I... was finishing it off, and it was late, and I got tired and I fell asleep, it was an accident I didn't mean to." Kel realised that she sounded incoherent, but it was important to her that even if he sacked her, he knew the truth of the situation.  
  
"Look," she said, explaining it a bit more clearly. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble for you or anyone. I knew I was behind with the article, so I decided to stay late and finish it. But, I fell asleep halfway through, and I woke up here. I did the rest. It was an innocent mistake, and I'll never do it again," she ended emphatically.  
  
"You look shattered. Go home," Jake said, a note of finality in his voice, face blank as a canvas.  
  
Kel went; glad to be let off the hook.  
  
"Come back at three," he called after her hastily retreating back.  
  
Kel couldn't help but wonder, at Jake's treatment of her, and the ambiguous order he'd just issued. But for now, her tiredness would wipe out any thought-processes she had. Rest first, ask questions later, she told herself, even though she knew that ignoring problems seldom made them any easier to deal with. She exited The Sound's press building, and began the short walk that led to her home, and sleep.  
  
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There you have it! Please review and tell me if you want more, coz I have such a great idea for the plot! Any suggestions would be good too. So, just REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I am begging you, for the love of God, REVIEW! Thanks, I am eternally indebted to ya for doing so! 


	2. Daydreams

Hey! Well, I've decided to answer all my reviews now, coz so many people seem to do it and I don't want to be left out!  
  
Adamindgirl: Yeah, I don't know how I even got this idea in the first place! As you can see I am updating it as you asked.  
  
Tamashii: Thanks! Wow, so many compliments in one review!  
  
Eri: Well, you'll get what you asked for in this chapter!  
  
Apsara: Merci, thanks!  
  
Lizzy: Oh no, not you! ^_^ Thanks dearie.  
  
Greeneyes: Hey. You'll find out just what Jake is in this chapter, I do believe. Thanks for reviewing!   
  
Also, here's a shameless plug for my other story, Ever Unwilling. It's not so bad, so go and read it! It's about assassins and stuff!  
  
Now, on with the story! Oh wait, I don't own the Night World series, coz the fantabulous LJ Smith does, of course, and her publishers. But the idea and original characters I made are ALL MINE. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.  
  
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Grimacing with embarrassment and foreboding, Kel reflected on the bizarre conversation she and Jake had enjoyed. As she plodded along, her feet dragged and slowed her, even though she was determined to make it home as soon as possible. Her energy reserves were seriously low; she needed to catch some sleep before she returned to the office; that was certain. She couldn't help but wonder what Jake would do. Fire her? Humiliate her in front of all her colleagues? The possibilities were endless and generally all bad news for her. At least, she thought with a triumphant smile, the article had been written and submitted before the deadline. No matter what he did, he could not take that away from her. At once the anxiety slipped away, replaced by a sense of achievement and pleasure at beating him for once.  
  
London traffic was harsh. Having lived in the bustling, mannerless city all her life, she knew that despite some of the less pleasant aspects, it was a great place to be. Even though the drivers were abusive and all suffered from road rage, even though it was polluted, and even though it was always crowded. It was alive, and there was always something to do. Life in London was anything but boring.  
  
Kel stared down at the drab grey pavement, adorned with discarded food wrappers, crusts of dog poo and hardened chewing gum, and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, and avoiding the various unsavoury obstacles that littered her path. Her eyelids were drooping, they felt as if they were lead rimmed, and her vision was unfocused and bleary.  
  
By some sort of miracle, Kel made it home without falling asleep by the roadside. Dad clearly wasn't home, as always; his car was not parked out front. She surveyed the tiny, three-bedroomed semi with a feeling of contentment and bitterness. The two were always intertwined here; it was impossible to feel happy without a hint of sadness, and even feeling sorrowful always had that cheery touch to it. The house was clean and sparkling, the blue paint shining freshly on the door and window ledges, the brass knocker glinting golden in the sunlight. A low, red brick wall surrounded the tiny, grassy front garden, a gate in it to allow access. As she opened the black, wrought iron gate, which squealed in protest, and shuffled wearily up the gravely pathway, she noticed a crisp wrapper dropped callously on the lawn, the only blight in a sea of verdant lushness. Frowning, she retrieved it, even though it wasted her time and strength. Her mum toiled daily to keep the place neat and tidy; she was a real workhorse. Kel felt that she should do her bit to preserve it.  
  
Finally, thankfully, she got indoors.  
  
"Mum? You home?" she called. There was no answer.  
  
Kel was glad of this. At least there would be no awkward questions for now. Feeling as if she was about to fall down with exhaustion, she laboriously pulled herself upstairs and into her room. Once there she collapsed heavily upon her bed, immediately without preamble fell into a deep, dreamless, fitful slumber.  
  
***  
  
Jake, who was still at The Sound's office, smiled humourlessly as he sensed Kel sleeping. He'd mentally seen her home, as she'd been almost ready to drop, and besides, the kid had worked half the night, and even he had to respect that sort of dogged determination. Relaxing in his own office, which of course was much larger that hers, he wondered why the girl was so hell-bent at beating him at his own game, a feat that she would never achieve. He had lived many years, and throughout his long life he'd always been surrounded by music. From the courante and the basse-danse that were popular in the Renaissance, through the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, into Experimental music, popular stuff, r 'n' b, rock, jazz.. He'd seen them all. And with that kind of first hand knowledge, and his thirst and love for sound that rivalled his lust for blood, he knew he was pretty much unbeatable in his field.  
  
He stood, gazing unseeingly from the window, looking out to the pale, washed out horizon of the early morn, noticing that already a more vibrant, lively tone of colour was seeping, bleeding in, the brighter hues teasing and usurping the sallow ones. Kelsey had talent; he could see that. But how much of it, he could not guess, though he had a secret, deeply suppressed inkling that indeed she had the potential to be a brilliant writer. The thought that the human would be better than him, a lamia vampire of the Redfern line, was galling to say the least.  
  
But he had to admit, if anyone was going to beat him, he'd rather it be this impudent, courageous, beautiful vermin, than any other run-of-the-mill blood bank crawling around London. It was fun to tease her; he always had the added advantage of knowing just what she was thinking, due to his telepathy. However, Jake was going to see to it that she did not usurp his position, and he wasn't going to be sentimental about it. What was one human in the grand scheme of things?  
  
As he sensed the first of The Sound's many employees enter the building for another busy day of writing, researching, listening, reviewing and visiting, he strode back to his desk, hands casually stuck in the pockets of his smart navy trouser suit. On the top of the precarious pile of papers his in-tray was a letter, in a normal, milky-white envelope looking like any other. The typing on it was the usual boring Times New Roman, stating in sterile size ten characters that it was addressed to Jake Tremaine. The only defining characteristic of it, and the most important one, was the logo on the front of the neatly pasted stamp. It was a black iris.  
  
This alone made Jake seize it viciously, ripping it carelessly open, catching the letter as it fell floating to the ground. He shook it open, and began to read the swift, black lettering that had clearly been written with a quill.  
  
"Dear Jacob,  
  
Things are developing as expected. My new protégés are superb, perfection in fact. Much better that the last group of lackwits. I've finally found a name for them - Bloodmoon. What do you think? At the time of writing the tour is going splendidly, radio and television coverage is good, and we're getting lots of outside interest. As part of the tour, they are performing at seven 'o' clock tonight, at the Iris. As planned, I've booked the venue, and it will be open to all, though the vermin may find things a little... uncomfortable. Feel free to send along someone from The Sound this time. You never send anyone anymore, after the first time... That young lady was very nice, I enjoyed her immensely.  
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Malachi."  
  
He chuckled as he studied the document. Malachi Redfern was a cold, calculating and cunning vampire, his only brother in the world. He was vindictive, sly and clever, and that was why he'd risen to the top at Redfern Records, which was a successful record label and company both in the music business and the Night World. Jake was very glad that he was not caught up too much in the whole Night World thing. Changing his name from Redfern to Tremaine and escaping the trappings of the vampire society had allowed him to be truly free for a time, to pursue his dream of writing about music. But now, at last, things were starting to catch up with him, and increasingly Malachi had been getting him mixed up in it all over again, urging him to at least to something to help the Night World in the search for the last Wild Power, or the location of the others. Jake couldn't help but feel slightly guilty; he did have a tiny sliver of his conscience left. Malachi, on the other hand, was absolutely merciless, and he would stop a.  
  
He sighed silently as he fed the paper into the shredder. What to do? He had no desire to become involved with their business, but they were being so manipulative and pushy, maybe it would be easier to give in just a bit.  
  
He wasn't sure just what Malachi had planned this time. The label had a reputation for producing good music; he'd heard some of the earlier bands they'd signed and their music had been pretty decent. But, Jake was sure it had some sort of hidden agenda, and he did not want to know what dark and twisted schemes his brother was concocting. It was best to ignore it all, wasn't it?  
  
As he heard a sharp rap of knuckles upon his door, he inwardly shoved his personal musings aside.  
  
"Come in," he said authoritatively, reaching for the next document in his in-tray. Lucy, his dipsy and utterly useless secretary peered nervously round the door, not daring to make contact with the threshold.  
  
"Mr Tremaine," she said, her whiny tone grating on his ears. "It's the server, I swear I didn't touch a thing, but it just went all funny, and."  
  
"I'm just coming, Lucy," he replied, unable to keep the annoyance from his voice as he strode to the door. He knew it was going to be a long day.  
  
***  
  
As Kel woke, she wondered just what time it was. Already, she knew she was rested and ready for action. It was a delightful feeling. All her exhaustion and misery had been swept away by her sleep, but the niggling worry of her punishment still lingered. She realised with a start that someone had pulled a duvet over her, but that was no problem. Probably mum, knowing her. Lazily, she turned to face the alarm clock by her bedside. It told her it was 2:05pm in cheery, flashing red numbers. Perfect, she grinned to herself as she slid gracefully out of bed. Was it normal to be this happy? She rummaged around, searching for a change of clothes and a towel. Kel knew her room was like her own personal abyss; for the uneducated fool it was impossible to move around or find anything, but for her, skilled in the art of locating things in piles of paper, books, plates and mugs, pens, cuddly toys, clothes and bed sheets, it was easy.  
  
A stack of all the things she needed draped messily in her arms, Kel made her way to the bathroom.  
  
45 minutes later, Kel was walking quickly back to The Sound, ready to face whatever Jake decided to throw at her.  
  
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OK that's it! Just a warning though - I'm doing my French oral and Music practical exams pretty soon, so I may not update for a while. Nevertheless, reviews would be appreciated! Even if you've reviewed before, do it again! Hee hee. Thanks ever so much guys! 


	3. The Meeting

Hello! Just a reminder that I own none of the NW Series or anything in it, coz they belong to LJ Smith. But, all the original stuff, that's plotlines and characters that belong to me, that is MINE, for better and for worse, till death do us part.  
  
Adamindgirl: Thanks for reviewing again, and I agree; it does all seem interesting.  
  
Tamashii: You may just have a point there. and you can stop beating your imagination now! Lol.  
  
Neoen: Well, that's me told. I'll do my best to update at reasonable intervals, but exams are holding me back.  
  
THANK YOU to everyone who has ever reviewed this story, and I beg you to do it again. Y'know, just for the hell of it. This chapter's a great one! (According to the ever-humble me).  
  
Anyway, I'm back from exam hell, but soon it will be revision hell. Please read and review to save me from certain insanity. PLEASE!  
  
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Her anxious green eyes were full of trepidation and caution; her mouth was set in a hard, tense line. Kel gently pushed open the door to enter The Sound's Offices, noticing that her slim and long-fingered hands were trembling slightly. She groaned softly in disgust.  
  
The building was as old as it was impressive, like a 16th century mini- skyscraper, decorated with the usual fancy baroque frills and etchings, all perfectly preserved and clean, made of uneven grey stone. The lack of symmetry just added to the charm of the place. Surprisingly, no graffiti or any other vandalism ever seemed to befall it, which was a veritable godsend really. Though, now Kel thought about it, it was a bit strange...  
  
Mere seconds after entering the building, the chill iciness of the overworked air-conditioning system blasted her body. This immediately made her reach for her warm navy pullover tied casually round her waist. She loved this jumper, especially the scalloped neckline, and it went so well with her black knee-length skirt and sandals. Steeling herself mentally for her encounter with Jake, she continued onwards.  
  
"Kelsey! Kelsey!" She heard that all-too-familiar voice screech raucously to the left of her. Kel winced. Jessica Hardman was a boy-crazy girl, with no depth of character at all. She was completely selfish and lacked interest in or concern for anything or anyone besides herself, and was vain. Being pretty seemed to have gone to her head. Unfortunately, she had latched onto Kel as soon as she'd started working here, for her writing abilities. More than once Kel had been persuaded to write an article for Jess when she was supposedly busy with some other important matters.  
  
Kel increased her pace, hoping she'd reach the lift before Jess caught her, but it was to no avail. The pale-haired girl, her face plastered in a makeup, her mouth a line of shocking crimson, seemed to leap into her path despite wearing teetering pink heels, grinning in an annoyingly effervescent manner.  
  
"Kel!" she shrieked once more, for good measure, even though she had already gotten Kel's attention. "Is it true?"  
  
"Yeah," said Kel, unable to conceal the laconic irony from her voice. "I'm pregnant with Scottie the janitor's love child. What else is new?"  
  
For that unspeakable derision, Jess rolled her hazel coloured eyes, eyes that were lined in harsh black strokes of eyeliner, and fluttered her false eyelashes in annoyance. Kel felt just about ready to strangle her.  
  
"No!" she whimpered. " Is it true that you have the three 'o' clock with Mr Tremaine. Is that true?" she repeated insistently.  
  
Kel was about to ask who had told her about this, and why she was asking in the first place when Jess babbled on, interrupting her train of thought.  
  
"Because," she said, pausing for dramatic emphasis, a wicked smile on her lips, "I have a meeting with him at that time too, and so, we'll be going together! Ooh, we should get going right about now. What are you going in for?"  
  
Kel allowed herself to be steered into the lift with Jess holding onto her arm as if she were some super-strong limpet, prattling on about nothing, as usual. Kel didn't think she knew anyone who could talk about nothing so well as Jess could. It was probably one of her four skills, the other three being attracting members of the opposite sex, dressing fashionably, and doing make-up.  
  
"I stayed after work late to finish the Pimlico report," Kel replied, smiling at Jess' shocked expression. "I fell asleep and he found me in the office at some ungodly hour of the morning."  
  
"You were busted," said Jess, half gloatingly, but half jealous. "I wish it had been me," she added sullenly, giving Kel a poisonous look. "But then again, I wouldn't be caught dead doing overtime." Her expression became clearer then, and Kel could not believe how fickle and changeable Jess was.  
  
Kel snorted. "No, you wouldn't." The thought of Jess actually doing any work was truly laughable; let alone staying after work to finish something off. She would probably only do so if there was an ulterior motive, such as being with Jake Tremaine. Jess fancied him, and his cold ignorance of her usually successful amorous flirtiness made her even more desperate to pull him.  
  
"Jake is soo gorgeous, don't ya think?" she mused, examining her long, immaculately kept pink nails and tossing her head, sending wisps of blonde over her face. Kel was half-shocked, it was as if Jess had read her thoughts. But she brushed it aside. It was only a minor coincidence.  
  
"He's a bastard," Kel said venomously, her eyes darkening as she brushed aside a few dark strands of chocolate-coloured hair. "I hate him."  
  
"Whatever girly, but you can't escape the fact that he is good looking too," she said, a teasing smile on her face as she nudged Kel knowingly.  
  
Thankfully, the lift stopped at their level then, and Kel managed to push her way out of the lift, so that Jess couldn't see that she was blushing. She also let her long hair fall over her face, in an instinctive, protective way. She strode along, thankful that her sandals were comfortable enough to walk well in. Upon catching sight of Jake's office, she paused, thinking Jess' company was better than no company at all.  
  
Finally, Jess tottered up, and for an instant, Kel envied her. She had the guts to wear a pale pink sundress, one that was short and clung to her slender body, and sparkly, darker pink Dorothy-style sandals, that made her tower above Kel. She was taller than Kel even without those shoes on. Her short blonde hair was cut into a stylish layered bob, with a long fringe mostly swept up in a side parting. The make-up only seemed to enhance her stunning natural beauty, and her dark eyes contrasted with her fairness.  
  
"What are ya gaping at?" asked Jess with a sigh. "We're gonna be late, I know it!"  
  
"Nothing," Kel demurred. "Let's go quickly then."  
  
Side by side, the girls sauntered into the office. Kel exuded a sort of devil-may-care confidence that concealed her fear, which had come flooding back again. If she lost her job here, she didn't know what she would do. For her, this was the dream career, one she'd yearned for, ever since she could remember.  
  
It was only a waiting room here, decorated in neutral beiges, browns and magnolias. The carpet was a soft amberlike colour. You could see the door leading into Jake's office, dead ahead, but in the foreground sat Lucy Lovell, Jake's weird secretary, and one of Jess' closest colleagues at The Sound. Kel was thankful for her presence, it would at least distract Jess for a while.  
  
"Hey Lucy!" Jess grinned at the auburn-haired waif that sat at the neatly organised desk. She looked up, her face alight, with amusement dancing in her heavy-lidded golden brown eyes.  
  
"Hello Jess and Kel," Lucy said upon noticing them, smiling her trademark loony grin. Lucy was the efficient secretary of the decade at work, but she had a dippy, slightly stoned manner naturally, and was benevolent and kind to anyone. Chilled out, strange and easygoing. Lucy and Jess made an oddly contrasting pair, and Kel often wondered why they were so close.  
  
Kel went to sit on the cream-coloured settee, feeling queasy again. Jess slunk over to Lucy and sat on her desk, and the pair began to have such a loud conversation that Kel couldn't fail to miss it, even if she'd been half deaf.  
  
"Jess, I have to tell you about this new metal band, called Bloodmoon," Lucy said. "They have a bit of a popular edge though, to appeal to the masses I guess," she added.  
  
"What a macabre name," Jess said, shuddering, and for an instant it seemed to Kel that Jess' personality had slipped. Long words were not usually part of the girl's everyday vocabulary. "I think it sounds dumb," she said dismissively, inspecting her nails, reverting to type.  
  
"Jake gave me their CD," Lucy continued, ignoring Jess completely as she dumped the album into her lap. "They're really good-looking, and the music isn't bad either. A bit dark though."  
  
Kel could she Jess visibly perk up at the mention of fanciable males. Kel grinned despite herself at Jess' one-track mind.  
  
"I love those dark, dangerous, handsome types," she giggled. "And rock band members are usually soo sexy!"  
  
Kel couldn't resist pouncing on that one. "Oh, but what about your blonde haired office guy?"  
  
Lucy laughed loudly, and Jess turned red, fixing Kel with another needling stare of annoyance. Kel didn't care. It had been totally worth it. She smiled back at Jess mischievously.  
  
"Keeel!" Jess exclaimed, pouting in childlike petulance. "What if Jake..."  
  
"What if I did what?" that arrogant male voice cut in, interrupting Jess. Kel cringed, cursing mentally. Why did he have to butt in at all the awkward moments? Jake had the most imperfect timing in the history of the world.  
  
Three guilty and dumbfounded girls turned to face him, Jess bright red and almost tearful in her rage, Lucy with an odd facial expression borne of bottling up laughter, and Kel, frowning in a slightly challenging manner, her cheeks a faint tinge of rosy pink. Jake looked much as he had upon discovering Kel at the office earlier, except that he looked not only incredulous, but also amused. And still as good looking as ever, his golden hair sparkling in the sunlight.  
  
"What if... you... joined a band?" Kel made up desperately. The utter lameness of this excuse was enough to send Lucy over the edge, and she bellowed explosively with maniacal laughter.  
  
"Luucy!" Jess squealed in tearful despair, before turning on Kel to vent her wrath. "That was so not funny Kel!"  
  
"I'm sorry," Kel said sincerely, giving a look of concern to Lucy, who was gasping for breath between fits of mirth. "Come on, let's get this meeting over with, OK?" she said to Jake.  
  
"Lucy, go calm down. Grab a drink or something," said Jake. Lucy nodded hysterically, and promptly left. "Come in, you two." Kel and Jess followed him into the office.  
  
The theme in the office seemed to be functional, boring green. They sat upon two dark green office chairs, with Jake opposite on the other side of his desk.  
  
Jess crossed and uncrossed her legs constantly, giving Jake long lingering looks, just generally trying to be seductive. He ignored her. As usual.  
  
"Well, Kelsey and Jess, let's start," said Jake, settling down into his seat, his frosty eyes resting upon them both. Kel was no longer scared. The bizarre episode earlier had plunged her into a surreal kind of state, where some of her emotions were put on hold. Kel suddenly thought that Jake reminded her of some sort of head teacher at a school.  
  
"Yup," she said nonchalantly.  
  
"I'm wondering what this meeting is about. I mean, it's clear why Kel is here; to be told off, but what about me?" Jess looked confused, like an adorable kitten.  
  
"Don't worry, its not any sort of telling off," Jake smiled at Kel again. She wished he wouldn't smile at her, it always looked unsettlingly cold. "It's more of a business thing," he added.  
  
"What? It must be a good thing, right?" Jess looked alluringly at him, her eyes sparkling. Kel thought they should get a room. Well, Jess should anyway.  
  
"Yes it is in fact. I'm sure Lucy has been raving to you about Bloodmoon, the newest sensation on the music scene. They've been signed onto Redfern Records, and they're performing tonight at the Iris." His eyes turned arctic, yet they seemed satisfied too.  
  
"So what?" said Jess, clearly bored as she inspected her nails yet again. Kel was inclined to agree with her.  
  
"So I want you two girls to go to the gig and interview them afterwards for The Sound. An exclusive. We've received many letters demanding information on them, so..."  
  
"OK," said Kel, so relieved that she actually smiled. It transformed her face entirely, making it radiantly beautiful. Her eyes lit up like flaming emeralds. She was pissed off that she had to work with Jess, which meant that she would have to do all the work, but nevertheless, it was great to be trusted with this story so soon after the whole confrontation thing that morning. And Jake had never liked her much. It was a real turn-around.  
  
Jake gave her an odd look. Kel couldn't even begin to analyse the complexity of emotion expressed in that single moment. So, she concentrated on the details; where, when, how, and all that.  
  
"So, I'll meet you, Jess, at the Iris at six thirty, and we both know the way there coz of these maps." She brandished one of them in her hand. "We've got tickets, and when we go backstage, we've got the backstage passes, and we have to ask for Malachi Redfern. So it all should be fine," Kel grinned. New music was always the best sort, and hearing it live was even better.  
  
"OK," said Jess as they stood to leave. "Thanks Mr Tremaine," she purred as she walked out, hips swaying seductively.  
  
"Yeah, thanks Jake, I really appreciate it," Kel smiled as she left, her hopes flying high. "You won't be disappointed."  
  
"Good luck," called Jake as they left his office, knowing that he would not be disappointed at all.  
  
He smiled to himself. Malachi was going to have a lot of fun tonight. He wondered whether they would make it back alive. Chuckling to himself, he stood up, stretching like a cat. Knowing Malachi, they would be out of it before the night was over. He was literally killing two birds with one stone, the annoying tart Jessica Hardman, and that pretty young upstart Kelsey Murdoch. They were dead girls walking.  
  
Pleased at how efficient he was being, he left the office to find that dumb secretary of his.  
  
"Lucy!"  
  
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Dum-dum-duuuuuum! What will happen to Kel and Jess when they go to the Bloodmoon gig? What will Malachi Redfern do to them? Or not? Find out in the next thrilling instalment, but only if you review! So press that blue button and get sending, baby! 


	4. Black Iris

You know how the drill goes. I own nothing but those characters and ideas created in my little insane old brain. So don't try and kidnap them. I have no money, so asking for a ransom or suing me would be generally pointless.  
  
Neoen: Indeed. Thanks 4 reviewing!  
  
Leila: Gosh, thanks! The idea was very much a flash of inspiration, so I just had to write it, coz I love music, and I've never read this idea before either. I do tend to go a bit overboard on the description, but that's just me.  
  
Tamashii: Lol, and thank you for your flattering comments.  
  
Eri: Yeah, the background stuff always seems to make characters a bit deeper and more meaningful. And thanks, I also wish you luck in your exams!  
  
Lizzy: Yeah, cliffhanger chapter endings are always the best. They make people come back for more, so they get addicted - insert evil laughter here - and so they love the story in the end. Hopefully...  
  
I humbly thank my reviewers AGAIN for taking up precious time to write me a review! I have been very bad as in I haven't continued this story for a while, as I've been doing my other one (called Ever Unwilling, check it out... ^_^) so I apologise to you all. And, I am supposed to be revising... This fic does get more love than my other one, and for that I am eternally grateful!  
  
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Being summer, it was not dark yet, but as she stood alone, Kelsey felt a strange sort of chill creep up her spine. Something in the air denoted danger, she could almost smell it. But then, she mused, all gloomy, shady alleyways could be seen as suspicious, right? It was just her overactive imagination again. It had to be. This club, Black Iris, did not seem the most reputable of places, and Kel was worried. But if doing this interview would save her job and get her back in Jake's good graces then one night in a rough bar was worth it.  
  
It seemed pretty quiet overall. But then, she had planned on being early. A couple of people had trickled in, and Kel had noticed that they were distinctively good-looking, and had given her unsettling, predatory stares. It had put her off slightly, though she told herself not to let a few idiots mess up her whole evening. She had this lingering, irrational sense of fear, which Kel was doing her best to get rid of.  
  
She frowned as she looked down at her violet-faced watch, which encircled her slim wrist on a ribbon of silver plated metal. The big silvery hand pointed to the seven, the little one hovered uncertainly, in the middle of the six and the seven. No matter what way she looked at the time, it plainly stated that Jess was late.  
  
Kel folded her arms in silent protest, her frown hardening into a ferocious scowl. Typical airhead. She couldn't even follow the directions of a simple map! She knew she was overreacting a little, but the prospect of spending an evening with Jess did warp any sane person's mind.  
  
Looking down at herself, Kel wondered if she'd chosen the right thing to wear. She knew she should have asked Jake what sort of club the Black Iris was, but he probably would have come up with some smart-alecky comment or other. She, admittedly, was rubbish at dressing up for important occasions. Casual was practically her middle name. But, after raiding her older sister Olivia's wardrobe, she had managed to come up with something at least halfway suitable.  
  
She wore a halterneck top, coloured a deep purple, and across her bare back strings of purple criss-crossed. Along with her watch, she wore several black bangles round her wrist, and a pair of form-fitting black trousers with some killer purple heels. She loved the trousers, they looked so elegant yet so nice. Her earlobes were pierced with purple stones that glimmered when the light caught them, and upon her right middle finger she wore a plain silver band, a ring given to her by her mother for her 16th birthday. Her dark hair was down, falling straight as an arrow, framing her face. She had not put on too much makeup, just some eyeliner and mascara to enhance those ethereal emerald eyes and a bit of concealer and lipgloss.  
  
Kel stared into middle distance, wondering what the band would be like. Bloodmoon... Quite a violent name, but nearly all bands were called things like that. And wasn't there a Wiccan element in there? That would be something to ask about in the interview. Lucy had been raving about them, almost drooling over their CD cover. Apparently they were gorgeous, but what about their music?  
  
"Hey Kel! Oh my God I am so sorry!" Jess' raucous tones shook Kel from her reverie. She was so pleased to see her that she didn't even say a word about her lateness as the blonde-haired girl tottered up in red high-heeled sandals.  
  
"Just glad you're here," she smiled, then she noticed what Jess was wearing. "Wow, you look great Jess!" she smiled. The girl had gone very over the top, in her tiny, tight, stop-sign red minidress with impossibly high slits in the skirt, but that was Jess all over. It was quite low-cut. Her short blonde crop had been styled messily with gel or something like that. Her dark eyes looked very mysterious, with grey eyeshadow and sparkly red glitter creating a dramatic effect.  
  
"Doesn't everyone dress to be noticed? You look nice. All elegant and grown- up," she giggled. "Ooh, meet Charlie. He's my brother, and he's the reason I'm so late! He drove me here, because he's got tickets too! Charlie is /such/ a slow driver."  
  
As she half-listed to Jess' babbling, Kel noticed a figure standing, or rather hiding behind the blonde haired girl as she dramatically enacted the riveting story. With some encouragement from Jess, he stepped out of the shadows and gave her a sheepish grin.  
  
"Sorry, Kel is it?" he said apologetically. "Charlie Hardman. Nice to meet you. And by the way, it was Jess who took three hours in the bathroom this evening, not me."  
  
"I can certainly imagine that," she smiled, looking up at him with interest. Jess didn't often mention her family in any conversation. "I suppose Jess has been telling you all about me then."  
  
"Only a lot," he said teasingly. They shared a knowing look at Jess, which only served to make the girl annoyed. Charlie was nice, with Jess' dark eyes and enormous height. However, his hair was black, completely opaque, and it was a bit long. But, it suited him. He was well built and extremely good-looking in a rebellious, rough sort of way, even outshining his sister. Charlie seemed a bit quieter that Jess.  
  
"Come on! We are so going to be late!" Jess said stroppily as she strode off, approaching the entrance to the Black Iris. Watching her, Kel felt apprehensive, as if she didn't want to go in.  
  
"And whose fault is that?" murmured Charlie quietly as he made to follow her, in an attempt to be funny.  
  
Ordinarily Kel would have laughed, but she was feeling far too anxious for that. It was utterly irrational though. Realising that she was just standing there like a complete moron, Kel swallowed her doubts and, with a smile plastered on her face, she joined Jess and Charlie at the shady doorway to the Black Iris.  
  
Kel wondered why the club was so covert, it's entrance so unadorned and hidden from public view. The only thing showing that indeed it was the Black Iris was a wooden sign, depicting the flower. It stuck out from the wall above the entrance on metal struts, and looked old and faded, with splintered corners and a scorch mark on the left of it. Not very inviting or attractive. Jess was there already, and Charlie had just joined her. As Kel walked up, she saw that the girl was talking to the doorman. He looked strange, abnormally hairy, with shifty, beady black eyes and a tendency to sniff a lot. By the way Jess had her hands on her hips and was pouting furiously, Kel knew that there was some sort of trouble brewing.  
  
"This ain't the place for the likes of you. I suggest you leave, miss," the doorman said vehemently.  
  
"But look. We have our tickets. This is the place! Look at the door; it says 'Playing Tonight - Bloodmoon' on that poster there! We're here to see Bloodmoon."  
  
"I don't think you should be coming here," the guy insisted. "Believe me, you should just turn round and go back home."  
  
"I don't care what you think! Are Bloodmoon playing here, or not?" Jess demanded, anger dancing in her hazel eyes.  
  
The doorman paused, his eyes flicking from Jess to Charlie, before finally resting on Kel.  
  
"Oh, what do I care? Go and get yourselves killed. Ungrateful vermin," he muttered to himself, as he pushed the door open.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes, then," muttered Charlie.  
  
"Thank you," said Jess, the satisfaction plain in her voice as she slid past the man and strutted into the Black Iris. "Oh, and believe me, I'm grateful," she purred, without giving the doorman a second glance. Charlie followed.  
  
Kel was about to go in, but something made her hold back. She turned to the doorman.  
  
"What do you mean? It's just a club, right?" she said to the doorman, staring at him challengingly. "It can't be dangerous enough to kill people, can it?"  
  
But the man was not going to give her any answers. "Do what you will. I'm not going to stop you," he said, withdrawing from her stare and looking into middle distance thoughtfully. "I guess it's just your destiny....."  
  
She followed his gaze, seeing him looking at the moon, his dark eyes reflecting the shining silver splendour of the full and glowing orb. She could see the so-called 'face of the moon' etched into the glowing surface of the rock in a purply-grey colour, but tonight it looked strange... Almost as if it were in pain...  
  
With a sigh of disgust she hurried past the creepy man and into the all- embracing darkness of the cavernous Black Iris. What a load of rubbish! She was worrying herself into seeing things that weren't there! Kel decided that she was crazy, and totally needed to relax. Who cared about the thoughts of one sicko doorman who got kicks out of terrorising the customers? He's probably paid to do it. Maybe they think it adds to the ambiance of the whole place.  
  
Kel swept the incident to one side, and distracted herself with other matters.  
  
She stood at the top of a narrow stairway, a windowless walled corridor that was perilously dark and enclosed. The door behind her swung closed with a terrifying creak and then a sickening bang that reminded her of the sound of bones crunching or cracking when someone broke a limb. Reaching out, she realised that she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. She shuddered slightly. Kel never liked to admit it, but she had a strange fear of the darkness.  
  
Arms outstretched, she inched slowly forward, trying to feel for a wall, or anything solid. She soon came into contact with something - the passageway was narrow enough for her to be able to touch both sides at the same time, if her arms were fully extended. She could feel the walls pulsating with the throb of sound. Muffled music wafted to her ears, and it was clearly coming from below. Kel shuffled forwards again, using the wall sides for support, feeling for a step.  
  
When it came, it was totally surprising. She nearly toppled headfirst down the stairwell as her foot felt the step. She managed to get down the flight of steps quite quickly. Standing at the bottom, she listened for a moment. It was still pitch black, and Kel was feeling a bit disorientated. Pushing out blindly in front of her, she was delighted to find that she had discovered a door, which opened easily.  
  
The first thing that hit her was the impossible brightness of the light in the new room. Neon strips that hung on the ceiling radiated harsh light into her darkness-weakened eyes. She grimaced and squinted for a second. As her eyes adjusted, she saw that it was just a non-descript old corridor, painted white, which made the dust and grime of the area even more apparent. Kel realised that she must have come in the wrong door or something. There was no sign of Jess or Charlie, no sign of a club. But she didn't want to go back and flounder in the dark again. It would be sensible to ask for directions.  
  
Kel began to walk along the corridor. She could still here the faint rumour of music emanating from some faraway room. But for all she knew the club could have been very close by, only soundproofed.  
  
She stopped at the first door she came across. It was white, though peeling paint revealed it had been a pine wooden door in a past life. It had a poster fastened messily to the door, a Bloodmoon poster advertising the gig tonight. On it, there was a picture of the band themselves. She agreed with Lucy, they were attractive, especially the lead singer, but they looked a bit weird too. Typical though, weren't all bands a bit strange? Without hesitation she pushed the door open and went inside.  
  
"Excuse me, sorry for just barging in here but...." Kel stopped mid- sentence as she saw what was inside.  
  
At a glance, it was evidently a scrappy, messy place, with clothes and rubbish strewn carelessly on the floor. Kel realised that this must be a dressing room. The Bloodmoon dressing room. It was decorated an ugly puce colour, with a threadbare burgundy carpet that had definitely seen better days. They weren't the most orderly of people; that much was obvious.  
  
At the back of the room, there stood the singer of the band, his pale blonde head bent over something, or someone. Kel knew it must be him; he was the only blonde one in the band. She felt painfully embarrassed as she saw that indeed he was with some girl; she could see her hands wrapped tightly around his waist.  
  
"Oh my God I'm so sorry I'll just be...." Kel began, but the blonde haired singer of Bloodmoon turned to face her then.  
  
Kel froze in terror.  
  
As he turned, the girl he had been with just fell to the floor, limp as a corpse. Kel absently wondered why she was so lifeless and pale.  
  
Then she saw his face. Sharp long canines protruding from his mouth, his lips and teeth bared, stained crimson with blood. Blood dripping, dark as wine, ruby red. That girl... so pale...  
  
This wasn't happening, Kel decided, feeling her pulse race at about a million times a minute as the horrible apparition began to approach her. He was dressed up. This was just a prank. Vampires do not exist!  
  
Then she screamed, long and loud, her eyes huge in her face as she backed away from the guy. The noise ripped through the still air, proclaiming her fear. But no one was coming to rescue her.  
  
Kel suddenly became silent, as the guy's gore-stained face hovered inches from her own, his lips twisted into a cruel smile. Her mouth was agape in wordless terror, her face ashen with foreboding.  
  
Looking into the mocking depths of the vampire's stony grey eyes, Kel knew that she was about to die.  
  
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Oh no! Kel! What on earth is going to happen to ya? Well, if you want to find out, you know what to do... REVIEW! That blue button is just itching to be clicked upon! Give me your feedback! You know I love it! And of course, if I get reviews, I will be churning out another chapter as soon as is humanly possible! ^_^ 


	5. Revelations

Hello! Night World's concept and ideas is SO not my property, coz if it was, do you really think I would be sitting here writing fanfiction based on my own story? Didn't think so. I'm just using it purely and solely for entertainment purposes. But, don't even think about using Kel, Jake, Charlie or any of my original ideas and characters, because that is bad, and why would you want to anyways? Make up your own, they will be much better than mine. But by all means take Jess. I'll pay you to take her! Lol.  
  
Valene: So you've discovered the truth about me! Mwa ha ha haaaa! Ahem, sorry. As you can see I am writing as you so kindly requested me to.  
  
Neoen: To satisfy your many questions, read on, I beg you! And review of course! Don't panic or hyperventilate, all will be revealed. Well, mostly, coz if I left no suspense in it, it would be silly, right?  
  
Eri: Will do. Thanks, I am a sucker for personification, lol. I'm keeping going!  
  
Tamashii: Well, I wonder who will be Kel's soulmate? Hmmm... To either stop you worrying, or to make you worry even more, read on!  
  
Nora: Kewl, thanks!  
  
This has got to be one of my most reviewed chapters! Yay! Thank you all so much, my loyal reviewers! If you read the story, do not be shy! Review! Even if it's short, or if it's long, I love them all! I really appreciate all sorts of comments, be it constructive criticism, praise, or depressingly awful reviews. -_- Obviously I prefer happy ones, but hey!  
  
So come on then, let's find out what happens next.  
  
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Kel was paralysed, mesmerised by the fangs, by the blood that dripped slowly to the floor, smeared across the singer's handsome, feral face. Even as they hovered plainly, undeniably before her, Kel's mind rejected the idea of it all. It couldn't be true. His eyes were magnetic, drawing her into their silvery grey depths, and Kel felt as if she was falling, drowning madly in a rush of cold fire.  
  
She tried to move, to get away, but for some reason her body would not obey her, and that was certainly weird. The singer - vampire guy - smirked, as if he knew just what she was thinking and feeling. It felt so strange, to mentally panic but show no physical symptoms of her inner distress. Kel supposed that this was what paraplegics felt like - trapped helplessly in their own bodies, unable to move no matter how much their brains and souls raged against it all. She had had no idea that a clothing of flesh could become such a demeaning, horrifying prison.  
  
"You are a pretty one, aren't you... Kelsey..." the lead singer whispered absently as he fingered a lock of her long dark hair, bending his blond head close to hers. Kel wondered how he'd known her name, but then, couldn't vampires read minds? She tried to insist to herself that vampires didn't exist, but right now she wasn't so sure. It was all well and good to deny their existence in the abstract, but when faced with a supposedly real, live bloodsucker eyeing your neck, things took on a different perspective. She wanted to shrink away from his touch, but found herself incapacitated still. His face was unbearably close now, and her pulse raced a million times faster as she saw him stare hungrily at her bare throat.  
  
Absorbed in her mental struggle to free herself, Kel was lost in her own, panic-stricken world. This may have been a good thing - she did not notice the singer as he bent closer, to her throat, his fangs bared, ensuring that she did not freak out any more than she had already. This also meant that she did not hear the heavy, rhythmic sound of rushing footsteps, coming closer and closer, louder and more audible with each passing second.  
  
"Take that!" a voice screeched inanely, deafening Kel, shaking her from her escape attempts. Immediately after that, she heard the whooshing of air moving against something hard, and an almighty thud. She looked up, just in time to see the singer's face, bewilderment and confusion mingling across his predatory features, as he swayed precariously. Then he fell to the floor. Knocked out cold.  
  
As the body of the vampire singer collapsed, Kel could now see her saviour. Standing there, wielding a cricket bat in her slim but surprisingly formidable hands, was... Jess? Jess!? This was just too surreal for comfort.  
  
Kel was speechless. Yet another surprise. She just stood there stupidly, her bright green eyes wide with shock, her nerves jangled to breaking point. This is so not happening, she told herself, before conceding that she must be insane. Yes. She, Kelsey Murdoch, was officially, certifiably mad.  
  
Dropping the bat, Jess launched herself towards the frightened girl, enveloping her in a smothering bear hug.  
  
"Kel! That bastard tried to rape you didn't he!?" she yelled, squeezing her tightly round the middle, almost cutting off her air supply. "It's OK, I got him good," she said soothingly.  
  
Kel didn't know whether to laugh or cry, as Jess made her press her face into her shoulder. The girl had really gotten the wrong end of the stick this time, but even if Kel did explain the truth to Jess, the chances were that she would just take it all as a joke. But Kel knew what she had seen here. She was not crazy. Eyes and ears could not lie. The truth was that vampires did exist, they were real. And this frightening revelation was scaring her senseless. But, the most important thing was to keep cool, to get Charlie, and to get out of this club right away. The interview was so out of the question now. She wasn't sticking around. She squirmed as Jess patted her head with vigorous affection and muttered comforting words of sympathy at her. Kel winced at the strong smell of perfume and smoke from the club that her clothes exuded.  
  
Kel also noticed another smell. The unmistakeable, metallic odour of... blood. Her heart sank like a stone, and she pulled away slightly from the girl, her eyes trained upon her throat. She nearly had an emotional breakdown as she saw those two tiny red pinpricks of colour there, the skin puckering slightly around them. Jess had been bitten by a vampire.  
  
"Kel, what's wrong? Are you OK now?" asked Jess, releasing Kel from the stifling embrace, now eyeing her critically.  
  
"I'm... fine," she replied tiredly, holding a hand to her head in a gesture of despair. Proof that there were more vampires around. Black Iris must be crawling with them. Kel was beginning to make a connection, to see the pieces of this bizarre puzzle come together, but there was no time to sit and dwell upon this discovery. Safety first, after all. Charlie was still unaccounted for, and this room was dangerous too. What if the other members of Bloodmoon were... vampires too? She shuddered, still not used to the idea. Would she ever be used to it?  
  
"Jess, which door leads to the bar?" asked Kel quietly, now frowning with concentration as she mentally outlined a plan to herself. No time for emotional outbursts now.  
  
"It's on the... left, yeah, the left. As you come out of this door, it's directly on your left. Why?" asked Jess, though she didn't exhibit any real interest in the question.  
  
"Don't worry..." said Kel, but Jess interrupted.  
  
"Well, anyway, I've got to get back." She straightened her dress out, her eyes sparking with excitement. "I met the band's manager, the one Jake told us to meet, y'know, and he is soo cute! And..."  
  
"Go to Charlie's car and get in," she said authoritatively, interrupting Jess' speech. "Don't argue, I'll explain later OK? Lock the doors," she added as she steered Jess out of the dressing room and into the white corridor. Kel looked back momentarily, her eyes moving skittishly from the unconscious body of the singer to the eyes of grey-faced girl. The lifeless girl, so pretty even in death, her dark eyes glazed over, her unseeing gaze boring into Kel's skull. That could have been her if Jess hadn't stepped in. Then the door swung shut with an alarming crash, the doorframe vibrating.  
  
"Kel?" said Jess, an annoyed pout on her face. "Come on, lighten up! Malachi said he'd be waiting for me! I can't leave now!"  
  
"Just go. Don't let anyone in." Kel pushed her towards the door at the end of the corridor, her face ashen. "Seriously Jess, please. Just humour me this once, OK?" Jess cast her a worried look of concern.  
  
"If it really means that much to you, I'll go then," she conceded with a small smile. Kel realised suddenly that, for all her flaws and annoying habits, Jess was a good friend. Sure, Kel knew that they would never be best buddies or anything like that, but when it counted, Jess' virtues seemed to shine out, the girl's true character finally revealing itself. Underneath the makeup, the clothes and the attitude, Jess was pretty nice. Though, Kel knew that if things ever went back to normal, she would find Jess as annoying as ever.  
  
"Thanks," smiled Kel as she followed Jess down the hallway. As the blonde haired girl went to push open the door, Kel asked her a question.  
  
"Where did you last see Charlie, by the way?"  
  
Jess heaved the door open, casting a small pool of light into the darkness of the lobby, before turning to Kel, still holding the door open.  
  
"Oh, he was right at the end of the bar, talking to some stranger," she said carelessly as she swept through the door. Kel hastily followed.  
  
"Also, if I don't return in, say, fifteen minutes, just go. Get a taxi. Me and Charlie will be fine," added Kel to Jess' retreating back.  
  
"'Kay," Jess' voice floated down to her. "See ya, Kelsey."  
  
With a look of determined triumph upon her face, Kel pushed open the door that Jess had pointed out to her. With a deep breath, she strode into the Black Iris, conveying confidence in her every move, whilst fear and despair made her heart quail. Whatever happened, she was going to get Charlie out of here.  
  
So this was the Black Iris. Vampire central. Kel stepped in, and found the place absolutely packed with people, well, bodies, anyway. Did vampires even count as people? Shaking the slightly irrational though from her mind, Kel concentrated, feeling slightly surreal. As if she were the 'heroine' in a b-rate movie. She grinned in spite of herself as she remembered several cheesy and inappropriate lines from vampire-themed films, before realising that she was getting off-track again.  
  
It was dark inside. The lights were down low, but things were still visible - just about. Here, there seemed to be a large floor space in front of her, where about a million people were dancing to the beat of some seductive, hypnotic tune, of an indefinable genre. Bloodmoon clearly hadn't started their gig yet. At the memory of her brush with death, she shivered, compelling herself to look around. At each side of the cavernous room there were various chairs and stools, all clearly expensive, dark, and comfortable. The whole place exuded a sensuous, dangerous elegance.  
  
She craned her neck, thankful for the four-inch heels that brought her up to 5 foot 9, which gave her extra height - useful if you wanted to find someone in a big crowd such as this one. But she couldn't see anyone remotely resembling the scruffy, long-haired Charlie. Kel forced herself not to worry. He was probably fine. She was just going to have to try a bit harder to locate him; that was all. Kel knew she was kidding herself; to a vampire, humans were probably like meals-on-wheels - 7 days a week, all hours of the day.  
  
Ploughing determinedly through the throng of bodies, Kel scanned everyone she passed, searching for Jess' brother. In the back of her mind, a voice whispered that it was hopeless to expect to find him in such a busy place; she knew that she would rather be doing this than abandoning him to the hungry vampire freaks roaming around.  
  
She tried to get past a tall, shadowy, suit-clad figure that blocked her path. Contrasting with the dark suit, he had golden hair that shone like a burning blaze. But with a violent, thrusting elbow, he rammed her in the stomach. The impact was incredible. Kel actually felt her ribs cracking as she was shoved backwards as if she was as light as a feather. Pain blossomed explosively in her belly, overwhelming her fraught senses as she almost flew across the room. She landed flat on her face, several feet from the offender, carving out a trench of space on the floor. She blinked dazedly, looking up, the throbbing agony beginning to dull slightly after the initial collision, but it still lingered, sapping her last reserves of energy. Whoever had done that to her had to be a pro wrestler or something. She struggled into a sitting position.  
  
At once, the scar of emptiness in front of her filled in again, the dancers barely missing a beat. No one offered her a hand up; no one cared or noticed her anguish. They ignored the scene completely. Another piece of proof that the Black Iris was no ordinary club. She levered herself heavily to her feet, breathing hard, one hand clamped to her stomach. She teetered for a second upon those high spindly heels, almost falling back down again, but by clinging to a woman's bare shoulder she stayed on her feet, though she twisted her ankle. The owner of the shoulder moved, and fearful of another attack, Kel hurried into the anonymity of the crowd. She hadn't meant to dig her nails in, but she doubted that that the woman would be understand the situation.  
  
Kel staggered around weakly, no longer seeing or feeling. A dull and distant roaring echoed in her eardrums. The pain was the centre of her attention, her only focus. A brief vision of Charlie floated before her eyes, reminding her of the task, but she was in no state to continue for now.  
  
Miraculously, Kel found that up ahead, there was a place that the horde had left clear. In gratitude to her guardian angel, she stumbled into the space. A stool was situated directly in front of her, and she gingerly sat herself down upon it.  
  
Then she realised that she was at the bar. A small, pained smile flickered upon her face. A wave of pain hit her suddenly, and she groaned softy with a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes watered. Kel realised that she was really hurt. That guy had seriously injured her, and what she needed right now was a doctor and a packet of morphine.  
  
She turned her head, and at once, she saw Charlie at the end of the bar, lounging in a dark, quiet corner. He looked as if he was enjoying himself; he was tangled up quite literally with a pretty, raven-haired lady. Normally Kel would have searched for some more tactful way to alert Charlie to her presence whilst he was in this slightly compromising situation, but she was tired, in pain, and terrified that a vampire might get her.  
  
Kel leapt off her stool and stormed across to the couple as best she could with a limp and a stomach that was almost crippling her with pain. It came in throbbing waves, each one causing her to bite her tongue to keep herself from crying out. She tasted blood in her mouth, and that made her think of vampires even more. As the frightening thoughts swirled around in her pain- fogged consciousness, she approached them. As she drew closer, she saw that the woman seemed to be... Kel felt hysteria begin to affect her. That woman was drinking Charlie's blood. It had to be. Kel hobbled quickly over to him, ignoring her ankle in her fear.  
  
"Charlie!" she shrieked, as she tried to pull Charlie away from the vampiric lady. A burst of pain hit her, and she doubled over in agony, tears of tormenting anguish rolling down her cheeks. It was like being hit all over again. It had gotten so much worse, so quickly. Kel was afraid. She literally could not sense anything but the suffering of her wound.  
  
"Kel, what on earth has happened to you?" Charlie's concerned voice filtered into her brain, and she was dimly aware of being supported by strong arms.  
  
"We... have to get out of... here....." she whispered, her breathing laboured and shallow. "Please..." She looked up into his face.  
  
But it wasn't Charlie. The stranger was certainly gorgeous, a shock of auburn hair falling casually into his baby blue eyes... Kel frowned confusedly as she looked again. No, they were... brown eyes. No, green. No... A terrible, familiar feeling of foreboding crept into her heart. No normal person had changing eyes. No human was that ethereally good-looking. No real person would have fangs... Suddenly, the arms around her tightened menacingly. And then Kel knew that she was trapped. Again.  
  
A flood of unbearable agony assailed her weak and trembling body, and she was shaking violently. Her captor, the terrible stranger, only laughed.  
  
"Charlie?" she moaned softly, struggling a little against the encircling, imprisoning embrace. "Let me go." But it was as if she was tied with bands of steel. Beads of sweat appeared upon her forehead as pain erupted again in her stomach. She couldn't take much more of this.  
  
"Nice to meet you too, Kelsey. I'm Malachi Redfern," he said in a cruel, deadly serious tone.  
  
Why was that name so familiar? Where was Charlie? What was happening to her?  
  
Then, as sudden as a gunshot, as perhaps just as fatally, she blacked out, letting the darkness and the agony free into her soul. Kel just couldn't fight any longer. The questions remained unanswered as the blissful numbness of unconsciousness engulfed her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Well, sorry for being annoying with another cliffhanger. ^_^  
  
You know what to do.  
  
It ain't nothing new.  
  
I won't be blue.  
  
If you just review!  
  
REVIEW!  
  
Sorry for that appalling rhyme, I couldn't resist. So, what is gonna happen to Kel now that Malachi Redfern has got her in his evil clutches? Where is Charlie? And will Kel be OK after that stomach wound and that life- threatening twisted ankle? Review now, and the next chapter will come all the quicker! 


	6. Imprisonment

Surprisingly enough, I do not own anything at all to do with NW. Honestly.  
  
IceHeart161: What can I say? I am a mean girl. Thanks for reading, and I shall be checking out your story soon!  
  
Leopardess: Cool, a new reader! Yaay! And I couldn't resist the cliffhanger. It practically begged to be written. Yes I am evil.  
  
Tamashii: Yes I was rather annoying with that last cliffhanger. Though perhaps not to that extreme... I have my own lawyer and look forward to seeing you in court. Lol.  
  
Practikalmagik: Honestly! Not reviewing! Tut tut. But then, fanfiction.net can be infuriating at times, especially when it says the 'site experiencing overload, come back in a few minutes' message, and when you come back, its STILL overloaded. You're forgiven though, I suppose. Thanks a million for reviewing, and I hope you do so again!  
  
Neoen: Jess as Kel's knight in shining armour was a bit of a let-down, heh heh. But I couldn't resist. The mental image of Jess with a bat knocking out a cocky vampire was just too funny.  
  
Eri: Lol, I think I've learnt my lesson about having too many cliffhangers. And nobody's perfect, be it with spelling or grammar or anything like that, even though it's nice to try to be. ^_^  
  
Rayv: Thanks, and I shall indeed write more.  
  
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all and sundry, especially my reviewers! This has been THE most reviewed chapter ever, and this is good also because a lot of them have been new reviewers! Yaaay! Personally, I think it was the oh-so- skilful rhyming couplets that did it.  
  
~ Please review! Please review! And this is a telepathic message! Hee hee! ~  
  
I promise, no, I swear there will not be a cliffhanger ending to this chapter! Lol. My lawyers are too busy with complaints about the recent ones. But enough of this incessant babble! What has happened to Kel?  
  
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The shocking transition from unconsciousness to wakefulness came suddenly, and was unwelcome. Kel wanted the careless numbness that oblivion gave her She craved it, as if offered a safe haven away from all these new and overwhelming problems that assailed her so ferociously. So even though she was aware of everything, she kept her eyes closed, pretending to still be dead to the world.  
  
Through half-closed lids, she surveyed her situation. She was lying upon the floor, and it was hard and uneven, cold as ice, and very uncomfortable. The desire to fidget and move was terribly tempting, but she would not do so until she had ascertained whether it was safe. Kel supposed the floor was concrete, or maybe stone. She was lying with her head in a corner. She also realised that her hands and feet were bound with some unidentifiable, strong fibre that did not seem to be humanly breakable. On the far side of the room, two unfamiliar forms slumped, seemingly lifeless. One was a redheaded female, the other a male with mousy coloured hair, both also bound up. She ignored them for now. They were not important to her at the moment.  
  
The room was small and dark, illuminated only by the flickering flames enclosed in several brass braziers, with a low ceiling and bare brick walls. Near those two bodies, there was a door, and it looked as if it were made of steel. Kel's hopefulness faded as soon as she saw that. The door looked totally foolproof.  
  
Suddenly she realised something was missing. Her stomach pain. Was she cured? Or maybe she was very ill indeed, so much in pain that lack of sensation had come to her. Unable to contain her curiosity, she gingerly sat up. In this position, she was able to see an area of the room hidden to her thus far.  
  
And in this place lay Jess and Charlie. Well, Jess, and various bits of Charlie strewn carelessly about, an arm here, a leg there, and gore everywhere. Actually, some bits were missing, his legs for example. The only thing that identified the body as Charlie's was his head. Dried blood and bits of other tissues caked the floor, and Jess lay covered in the disgusting mash of Charlie's entrails, her blonde hair matted with redness. Charlie was dead. Jess just looked deathly pale, but there was something strange about her that made Kel afraid without knowing why.  
  
Kel took this all in quite calmly, her face impassive. Then she let out a terrifying scream; her face contorted in pure agony. The noise was positively unearthly, a cry from the heart, the music of a tortured soul. She then dissolved into tears, bitter, painful tears as she wept for the end of innocence, for Charlie who had been utterly blameless and never did anything wrong, for Jess who seemed to be dead, yet still alive. How had she become so inextricably tangled up with vampires and suchlike?  
  
She felt the blood drain from her face; no doubt she looked as pale as a ghost now. But that didn't matter any more. Tears slid down her face, infinite in number, yet none would be enough to heal this wound. What had she ever done to deserve this punishment?  
  
"You alright kid?" a voice from the other end of the room called. It was the redhead. She was now sitting up awkwardly and regarding her with calm grey eyes. She was a good-looking woman. Almost too good looking...  
  
"You're a vampire, aren't you?" Kel said challengingly, but unfortunately, even though her words were tough, the way she was cowering in the corner, shivering as she kept glancing at the bloody mutilated remains of Charlie, meant that the words had minimal impact. "Keep away from me, you bloodsucker." Even that threat was half hearted.  
  
The woman laughed harshly. "I'm a Daybreaker, but not a vampire. Colm is though, but he's from Daybreak as well, so it's OK."  
  
Kel was confused. "What's a Daybreaker?" she asked fearfully.  
  
"Don't you know?"  
  
"Well, seeing as vampires and stuff were all just a fairytale to me this morning, you can forgive me for being a little 'out of touch' with supernatural current events," Kel smiled wanly.  
  
"Wha..." Burdette looked stunned and a bit puzzled by this comment, which also perplexed Kel.  
  
"Burdette, that girl is a human. Did you really think she would know what a Daybreaker is?" It was the mousy haired guy speaking; Colm, but Kel could not detect any movement from his body. Strange that.  
  
"No shit," Burdette said with a look of surprised pity.  
  
Kel didn't like being pitied, but she just did not have the energy or willpower to stop the woman doing so. And she didn't think she could bring herself to say that classic cheesy line - I don't want your pity! - because it would probably make her go hysterical, or insane. Being situated next to the defaced and messed up carcass of your friend's brother often seemed to have that effect on people, she had noticed.  
  
"So you're human?" Burdette said wonderingly.  
  
Kel nodded weakly.  
  
"And you know nothing about the Night World?"  
  
Kel shook her head. "Nothing whatsoever. Get your mind reading pal over there to check it all up if you must."  
  
Burdette looked over at her prostrate vampire friend, and evidently, they knew that she was telling the absolute truth. "I could have sworn you were a vampire or a witch or something like that!" Burdette exclaimed.  
  
"Back up a second," Kel said in disbelief. "Did you just say witch?"  
  
"Yes. I'm a witch. What's wrong with that?"  
  
Kel just looked utterly horrified, her face frozen in an almost humorous look of revulsion. She'd just become accustomed to the idea that vampires were real, and now witches were being brought into the equation? She buried her head in her hands, a gesture of utter despair. Drops of salty wetness spilled from her eyes, dampening her already tear-drenched face, as she snivelled miserably.  
  
~ Burdette, I don't think this young lady was aware of the existence of witches. From what I have gleaned from her mind so far, she's human, as I have just confirmed. She came to see Bloodmoon tonight at the Iris with some friends, and to interview them afterwards, but she has discovered the existence of vampires and gotten kidnapped instead. Those two over there are, well, were, those friends. She's aware of the existence of vampires, and now witches, only. ~ Colm communicated telepathically with his slightly clueless witch colleague, sighing at her lack of perception and tact. But he couldn't move at the moment to do the job himself. He'd received a thorough beating from the guards earlier, and was in pure agony, though he did not show it.  
  
"Oh," said Burdette in a low voice.  
  
~ Well, now you've let the proverbial cat out of the bag, I think it would be wise to tell her about the Night World and such. Spread the message, like good little Daybreakers. ~ Colm could not keep the sarcastic note from out of his voice.  
  
Ignoring Colm's supercilious tone, Burdette began to try and move herself, thinking that her vampiric partner was a total jerk. By rolling, jerking and various other acrobatics, she managed to get closer to Kel.  
  
Noticing the redhead's strange efforts, Kel said nothing. What use was speaking, thinking or feeling at a time like this? She felt hollow and empty and dry, and unable to give anymore. She yearned for comfort, for normalcy, because she knew that the revelations of today had changed her life forever, and she was terrified of the implications. Who wouldn't be, after seeing what had happened to Jess and Charlie? Thinking of them made her look again, and when she saw the unending horror of the violent bloodstained scene she could not bear it. She turned away, knowing that she could never be 'normal' again.  
  
"Kid," Burdette began hesitantly.  
  
"It's Kelsey, my name is Kelsey," said Kel softly, staring moodily, blindly at the floor. "Please don't call me kid. I am not a goat."  
  
Burdette decided that the girl was funny in the head. "Goat?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
"Look, I'm going to tell you the truth. The whole truth. You don't know the half of it. You think witches and vampires are bad..."  
  
~ On the reassurance front, Burdette scores a big, fat ZERO!! ~ Colm wondered why Burdette was so bad with words. Still, practice makes perfect, right? Well, even if it didn't it was sure fun to watch her mess up and squirm, time after time.  
  
Burdette paused and glanced at Colm. She was sure that he was sniggering. Bastard. But then, he was in pain. That always made him grouchy.  
  
Kel's interest had been piqued by the redheaded witch's comment. She needed to know the full facts of the situation before she did anything about it. That was the way things worked in a logical brain. Kel had never been logical, but it was surprising what could happen when you were plunged into a dangerous and bizarre situation. It could almost turn your head upside down.  
  
"Carry on," said Kel, some of the colour coming back into her voice.  
  
"Well, basically, there was this organisation. The Night World. It's a secret society of vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters, and other creatures of darkness. It had laws, and governed nearly all of us. They said that you could do basically anything to humans, except two things. Things punishable by death."  
  
Kelsey found herself morbidly fascinated by this exotic tale. "These things were...?" she prompted.  
  
"Never let humans find out that the Night World exists. And, never fall in love with one of them," said Burdette bleakly, her eyes darkening to a dark grey, almost black.  
  
"Oh," said Kel, unable to think of any sort of reply to that damning statement.  
  
"But things have changed. Probably due to the soulmate thing," she said. Noticing Kel's blank expression, she explained. "Basically, everyone in the whole entire world has a partner. A soulmate. These two people have souls that are eternally linked."  
  
"How do you know?" Kel asked, dubious of the whole thing. She didn't like the idea of being connected to some freaky stranger.  
  
"It's a theory. Not scientifically tested. But I won't go in to the details of it all. You just... know, I guess." The way Burdette was looking wistful and starry-eyed made Kel think that the witch girl wanted a soulmate of her own. Sweet. Totally cute. How romantic. Kel wrinkled her nose, thinking that Burdette was mad. Kel didn't believe in that theory one bit. That was just twisted.  
  
"Yeah," Kel said, looking around shiftily. Soulmates? Got to be a joke. But Kel did not doubt the rest of Burdette's statements. They had a ring of authenticity to them, and no one could imaginative enough to create such a world in their heads. (A/N Well, except LJ Smith, lol.)  
  
"Anyway, the number of soulmate couples have increased, and more and more Night Worlders have found their soulmates are actually human. Added to that little problem, the Old Powers are rising. These powers control natural things, and the fate of the world. Have you noticed that natural disasters are becoming more common? Well, that's why."  
  
Now that she thought about it, Kel knew that it was true. More hurricanes, monsoons...  
  
"And soon, the Night World got split up. There were some of us who wanted to tell humans the truth. To teach them to understand. We wanted soulmate couples to live in peace and harmony, whatever their race. We wanted more than what the Night World had to offer. So we split. Most witches and shapeshifters are on our side, but most of the vampires stuck with the Night World. We're the good, they're the bad. Well, at least in my estimation." Burdette smiled.  
  
"There are some exceptions then?"  
  
"Of course. Not all vamps are bad, just take a look at Colm," Burdette grinned, her grey eyes flashing. "The model of morality. A little angel."  
  
~ Shut up Burdette. Kelsey, let me tell you the rest. There's been a prophecy stating that four kids, born 17 years ago and who have the power to control blue fire, can save the world from imminent destruction, but only if they and their soulmates survive. They must stand against the chaos and darkness at the end of the world and stop it. We've got three wild powers and two soulmates at the moment. The Night World has nothing. And so we keep searching for the ones we don't have, and generally be the good guys. ~  
  
Kel's head rang. Telepathy was very cool, but she could feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on. His voice had been so loud in her head, so expressive...  
  
~ It is rather good isn't it. ~  
  
"Yes," Kel replied with a half smile. "Don't make a habit of reading my thoughts though, please."  
  
~ Your wish is my command. ~  
  
"Well, thanks for telling me that," Kel said, looking at Burdette and Colm's back in turn.  
  
She tapped her fingers on the brick wall thoughtfully. Kel now knew the truth. How did it feel? Well, she wasn't sure that it had all sunken it yet.  
  
Then, Colm moved stiffly, manoeuvring himself into an upright position. Predictably, he was absolutely gorgeous, his eyes a shocking violet colour that seemed too bright to be allowed. But he looked, well, terrified out of his wits.  
  
"I think we may have a small problem," he said, indicating Jess.  
  
"What? She's dead!" exclaimed Burdette.  
  
"I wish that were true," said Colm seriously.  
  
"Hey! Don't you dare say that!" Kel yelled angrily. "She was a good person, mostly anyway, and she was..."  
  
"Look Kelsey I didn't mean to offend. I'm sure she /was/ a nice person, but I've just realised that someone has changed her into a vampire. I didn't notice before, I was in so much pain..." He looked embarrassed to admit this. "So what she /is/ now is definitely not human, and she definitely won't hesitate to kill you when she wakes."  
  
Kel looked at Jess, struggling to see the vampire in her, but she looked just like usual, only she had a deathly pallor about her.  
  
"What do we do?" Burdette asked timidly, in hushed tones.  
  
"My watch tells me that it has been two days since the girl and the other... person... got here. You came later, a day ago. It takes three days for a vampire to wake up after the final blood exchange."  
  
"So we have one day," said Burdette. Kel thought that it didn't sound very long.  
  
"Isn't there any chance you could be wrong? That she'll be OK when she wakes?" Kel was desperate to find a way to redeem Jess.  
  
"No, I'm certain that they've changed her. When they wake, all any newly made vampire wants is blood. She won't care who it's from. She'll go crazy, killing everyone in here. Me included. I can't control her, she'll be driven by blood lust."  
  
"What are we going to do?" asked Kel worriedly.  
  
"My dear, we are going to escape!" said Colm dramatically. "Burdette and I will brainstorm. You relax a bit. Looks like you need it."  
  
"Oh, thanks," Kel replied sarcastically.  
  
She was now thinking about something, remembering something. Her stomach was fine. Someone must have cured her. It made sense, because according to Colm, the kidnappers had brought her to the cell a day after Jess and Charlie. Kel wondered who had thought to make her better, only to send her to be slaughtered by her own friend. It didn't fit. Kel had a small hope that someone out there cared for her, just a bit, just enough to want to help her.  
  
Malachi Redfern was the kidnapper. The Bloodmoon manager. The vampire. And Bloodmoon themselves were of the Night World. They were vampires too, or something like that anyway. And now she saw why the doorman of the Black Iris had tried to stop them going in. He'd recognised that they were human, and wanted to protect them. But they'd gone anyway. Why was that? Oh, that was an easy question to answer. They'd gone because Jake had sent them. But why had Jake sent them to a Night World Club?  
  
"Oh shit," she whispered. Kel was not usually the kind of girl who swore. The picture was becoming clearer and clearer. Jake had told them to meet Malachi Redfern too. Did that mean that Jake... had /meant/ for all this to happen? And that evidently lead to another conclusion - Jake was a Night person. He must be. How else would he have known?  
  
"What is it, Kelsey?" asked Burdette curiously. The girl had gone positively green all of a sudden.  
  
Oh, just the realisation of betrayal, Burdette. And the awakening of revenge of course.  
  
"Nothing. What about this escape plan then?" Kel said innocently.  
  
Colm and Burdette exchanged looks, but did not mention the strange glitter in her emerald eyes. Eyes as hard as stone and just as cold. The girl was different all of a sudden. Colm did not dare to read her mind. It was none of his business, and for that he was thankful.  
  
That was their idea of amusement, was it? To drive three innocent children to death? To betray three blameless humans? To kill and murder people who trusted in you? Well, it was about time that Jake found out the true meaning of revenge. Just as soon as she got out of this hellhole. Him, and Malachi Redfern. She would make them suffer.  
  
Kelsey knew that she was about to enter into a dangerous game. But humans could play just as well as Night People. Kel would show them that.  
  
Secretly smiling, she listened to Burdette and Colm's escape plans.  
  
Very soon, Jake. I'm coming. Are you ready to play?  
  
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Damned long chapter there. But I just had to finish it. I'm not so sure whether it's good though. So tell me, what do ya think?  
  
Kel wants revenge,  
  
What will she do?  
  
Can they escape?  
  
To find out, REVIEW!  
  
Will they get out before Jess the vampire awakens and starts feeding on them all? And if so, what is Kel going to do to Jake? It's a mystery, folks. So review. I beg you. REVIEW! 


	7. Just 24 Hours

I disclaim any ownership of anything to do with the Night World books. But all the stuff that I've made up is mine! All mine!  
  
Tamashii: You'll find out in this chapter I do believe.  
  
Eri: And here it is!  
  
Practikalmagik: I think I may enjoy writing my rhyming couplets a bit too much... And you didn't want me to end it on a bad bit, surely? Lol.  
  
Candika: I am not the most punctual of updaters, mainly coz I have exams (next week they start) but I'm trying my best! I'm glad you love it!  
  
Neoen: Yup she is. Let's hope she doesn't go too crazy. She might do something that she ends up regretting...  
  
Thanks to my reviewers! You are all superstars! But I'm sad to see that fewer people have reviewed than last time :( so come on! Let's try and break the record of seven reviews for one chapter! ^_^  
  
~ Review or die! Only joking! This is a telepathic message. But seriously, if ya read it, review! ~  
  
And now, on with the show! Or story, whatever. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Time had no meaning here. Eternally dark, forever cold, and utterly unchanging, the room that imprisoned them all was beginning to seem claustrophobic to Kel. Often, she had imagined the walls to be closing in on her, her brain's futile attempt to add variety to the monotonous scene, her mind playing tricks on her. But she would not be fooled any longer. She knew about the Night World, about Jake and his murderous intent. She knew about Malachi Redfern and his sick decimation of Charlie, his corruption of Jess. And though Kel understood that it might take her one month, one year, or even a thousand years, she promised herself revenge on them both. It was what she deserved. It was what she would do to avenge her friends, and stop those monsters from ever hurting anybody else again.  
  
She stared blankly at the ceiling, her emerald eyes wide as ideas simmered and whirled round in her rage-blinded head. She had spent some time drifting in and out of sleep, her dreams filled with vengeful yearnings and her waking moments spent in boredom. She had already counted the 472 ceiling tiles twice, all made of rough white plaster smeared over some harder material, maybe stone or bricks. It was hard to see in the darkness - the braziers offered the minimum possible amount of light and heat. Kel found herself wondering just where they were. She hoped it wasn't too far from London, or from home.  
  
She glanced anxiously over at Jess. She lay awkwardly upon the floor, oddly still, her limps jutting out at painful angled, her torso twisted. Jess' hair was unkempt and dull, still saturated with dried blood. Even now, Kel refused to believe that her annoying friend was actually a vampire. She had been so lively, so bright, but now her cheery spirit was clearly quelled. Kel had moved her limp body to another corner, away from Charlie's remains, much to the disdain of Colm. He'd thought she was being too sentimental. Colm was right though, because if things got desperate and they couldn't get out, they would have to kill her. With a stake. The absurdity of the notion had almost made her laugh, but Colm and Burdette were deadly serious. Every time she thought of it, she remembered Buffy on TV, and found herself speculating whether Jess would collapse into fragments of dust or not. Of course, after the initial humour, Kel had been utterly sickened. Killing a friend was not going to be pleasant, and she hoped that it would not come to that. She didn't think she would be able to murder Jess, even if it was a question of life or death.  
  
As Kel had moved her, Jess' body had felt stiff and hard with rigor mortis, cold to the touch, appearing ashen pale, almost white in places, her eyes lifeless and glazed over, like the ones you saw on the corpses of dead rabbits. It had been hard to move her, being tied up and all, but Kel hated the thought of Jess lying there wallowing in her brother's entrails. That was sick. Jess had seemed dead throughout, not at all vampiric. Her flesh was slightly clammy and spongy to the touch. Apparently, that was supposed to happen. When you were changed into a vampire, you died, in essence, and then came back to life, well sort of anyway.  
  
Kel didn't know why she was trusting Colm and Burdette, two perfect strangers, and both of them Night Worlders to boot. Maybe in a different situation she would have tried to kill them both. Not that a human was really going to be successful against their superior powers and skills. But they were Daybreakers. From what Burdette had said to her, Kel was glad that they had a vision of everyone living together, humans, and the Night people. That reminded her of the soulmate principal. Kel didn't really buy it, but there must have been some credibility to the story somewhere. That would be worth pursuing when they escaped. If they escaped...  
  
"Hey Kel," Burdette called.  
  
Kel snapped her head round, realising that she had been staring and being pensive for quite a while now. She saw that Burdette was nestled in the opposite corner, a small, optimistic smile on her face. Colm had, by some feat of athletic ingenuity, managed to get to his feet and was now examining the walls as best he could with his feet and hands bound up. As he took small jumps to move around, Kel could not suppress a giggle of amusement.  
  
~ What's so funny? ~ His face was utterly serious as he turned to face her, but his bright, outlandish purple eyes held a glimmer of humour within them.  
  
"Nothing, nothing," she replied, smoothing out her smile, her expression equally solemn.  
  
Colm got back to his investigations, as Burdette impatiently motioned for Kel to join her in the corner, a sparkle of excitement lighting up her usually calm grey eyes, turning them a shimmery silvery colour.  
  
Kel threw herself dramatically to the ground and did a sausage roll to get to Burdette. It was painful, and tiny pieces of stone, gravel, sand and grit dug into her body and became entangled in her slightly knotted and messy dark hair, but that wasn't really important right now. She didn't care what she looked like; next to Burdette she would always look plain. She winced as a sharp bit of stone pierced her lip, and as she finally got to Burdette, she tasted the metallic salty tang of blood dripping into her mouth. It reminded her of Jess again, and all that she had seen today, and it made a sudden chill come over her, dampening the momentary forgetful cheerfulness that had been in her heart.  
  
"Great moves!" the red haired witch laughed as Kel wriggled and heaved herself into a sitting position. Kel did not join in with the mirth, and soon Burdette stopped giggling, noticing that the human had withdrawn herself again. She felt pity for Kel, and wondered if she'd been affected in some way by the awful events that had happened to her.  
  
"So what do you want?" Kel asked, genuinely curious, an earnest frown upon her face.  
  
"Let me see your hands," she instructed, and Kel unquestioningly stuck them out in front of her. "Ah, I thought so. They've tied you up with non- magical bonds. I can free you easily enough."  
  
"Wasn't that a bit dumb of them?" Kel said suspiciously.  
  
"Well, you are human, and these are plenty strong enough to hold someone with twice your strength," Burdette said with a gentle smile. "Maybe they didn't expect you and us to actually get together to escape. A witch or vampire could break through these in a second."  
  
"Oh," she replied, feeling slightly inadequate. "Go on then."  
  
Burdette simply focused her gaze upon the binding ropes, a look of ferocious, intense concentration upon her features, her eyes narrowed almost evilly. Kel found herself suddenly afraid, but forced herself not to flinch. She made herself look at the ceiling, ignoring what was going on before her.  
  
But she quickly turned to look again, as a bright, poppy-red light engulfed Burdette's hands, which were pressed close to her own. Kel's first instinct was to scream, but then she recognized that she wasn't in pain. She wasn't burning at all. She glanced at Burdette, and Kel saw how the blazing glow reflected in her eyes and danced in her hair, as if the girl was a fire- goddess. As suddenly as it had appeared, the light diminished and vanished promptly. And the ropes were gone.  
  
"Oh my God that was...." Kel found herself speechless in the face of such an amazing sight. This was another piece of proof confirming the existence of the Night World, and Kel was finding increasingly hard to pretend that it wasn't real. Because, deep down, she felt like she was living in a dream, as if she would wake up soon. Even as she tried to believe, she was still in denial. However, soon she was going to have to face up to it all. Kel did not want to do this, but whether she liked it or not, it was going to happen.  
  
"Good, huh?" Burdette looked quite surprised at Kel's wonderment. "I'll do your feet now."  
  
"Yeah," said Kel distractedly. She was so mystified and impressed by the witch's last display of power she completely missed her repeating the spectacle to undo her feet.  
  
"Done!" announced Burdette happily, and Kel stared down at her limbs. Experimentally, she wiggled her feet and stretched her arms, feeling them click and begin to ache with rigid stiffness. She then stood up, but her legs were so weak and unused for so long that she promptly collapsed again, landing in a heap on the floor.  
  
"Careful," Colm said, falling gracefully into a sitting position near Burdette and Kel. "OK, Burdette, try my bonds now. 14 hours have gone past, so we have less than 10 hours. It's 8 'o' clock in the morning right now."  
  
Kel was amazed at that. She had slept for 14 hours! Well, it wasn't surprising. But it just seemed to have passed so fast. They were running out of time, and Kel could now see the urgency of it all.  
  
Burdette dragged herself with some difficulty along next to Colm, and began trying free him. Her red fire streamed Kel levered herself up and lolled upon the floor, feeling pins and needles creep into her ankles. She felt tired now, for some reason, but fought the fatigue. She had too many questions to ask, and it would not do to waste time by sleeping.  
  
"Colm, how did you two get here?" Kel enquired lazily.  
  
"Long story," muttered Burdette bitterly, directing an especially ferocious blast of fire at Colm's bonds.  
  
~ We were on a mission for Daybreak. ~ Colm explained. ~ Basically, we've been hearing some rumours that Malachi Redfern is planning something. ~  
  
"Something big," Burdette added. "And obviously, meant to cause panic and fear. We're quite lucky in that the UK has not been hit with any serious, irrefutable attacks from the Night World at present."  
  
~ But we are convinced that the Night World is aiming to destroy a huge part of the UK in one sweep. It is a small place, compared to America, so therefore easier to conquer all at once. But so far, all we had was assumption and gossip to go on. And so we decided to check out the Black Iris, do some snooping around in Redfern's office. We found some information, but we barely had time to look at it. It did confirm that something is in place, but exactly what we are not sure. We were just about to leave, when the band, Bloodmoon came into the office. Unfortunately, we had no idea that Bloodmoon were of the Night World, and so we tried to get them out, revealing ourselves as Daybreakers. We soon realised of course that they were not human, but by then escape was impossible, after a short struggle the band members caught us both. They handed us over to Malachi Redfern who knocked us out and brought us here. ~  
  
"That sounds... bad." Kel couldn't think of anything better to say than that. "So it's really important that you get out?"  
  
"You could say that," Colm replied wryly. "Our information is vital to the investigative process."  
  
"And with us gone, the Daybreakers back at HQ will eventually ascertain that there is a problem, but it could take ages for them to figure it all out, and by then it could be too late." Burdette looked terribly worried as she said this.  
  
"Right, so how are we going to escape? You haven't actually told me yet," Kel said with apprehensive concern.  
  
"It's simple enough. We just have to get untied," said Colm. "I've observed that a guard comes in here twice daily to leave a dish of water and some bread." He pointed at the plate and something that resembled a dog dish, both of them empty. Kel realised that, actually, she was hungry. When had she last eaten? Her stomach rumbled, and she grinned in embarrassment. Colm gave her a half-serious, half silly look, but Burdette did not seem to notice. She was intent on breaking the ropes. Now reminded of her hunger, Kel felt a dull twinge of hunger inside her.  
  
"When restrained, we obviously were no match for him," Colm added. "But, if we can get free, we can at least get out of this cell and away from Jess, and maybe we'll have a fighting chance at escaping from this dump."  
  
"OK!" Kel said, exuding a confidence that she did not really feel. "How's it coming along, Burdette?"  
  
"Nearly.... there..." Burdette gasped, not even glancing at Kel.  
  
~ I wouldn't disturb her if I were you. ~  
  
"Right. Well. I'm going to take a nap. When will the guard come? I am absolutely starving."  
  
~ He'll be coming at around five 'o' clock. ~  
  
"Doesn't leave us much time, does it?" she murmured worriedly as she settled down against the wall, surveying the pair of Daybreakers. Burdette looked absolutely shattered, her face bathed in sweat, yet she still continued.  
  
~ No. But what can we do? ~  
  
Kel nodded tiredly. "Indeed," she replied as she let sleep steal slowly upon her.  
  
*** ~ Kelsey! Kel! Wake up! ~  
  
Abruptly, she felt herself being shaken roughly back to life again, a voice that seemed to sound from within her echoing through her sleep fuddled brain.  
  
"Wha... what?" she mumbled, covering her ears with her hands, her eyes scrunched up tightly, curled up in the foetal position, her arms hugging herself in a childlike indication of fear.  
  
~ KEL WAKE UP RIGHT NOW! ~  
  
That roused her perfectly, much to Kel's furious dismay. She felt violent hands yank her upwards, defying gravity and her eyes flew open at once, expressing the surprise and primitive dread that engulfed her soul. Pain exploded ferociously in her left shoulder, her arm almost pulled out of its socket.  
  
"Hey!" she yelled, slurring the word sleepily, stumbling as she tried to regain control of her feet, which were having trouble adjusting to standing up the floor.  
  
Suddenly, she found herself inches from Colm's face, and decided that it wasn't too bad at all, but it was a shame that he looked absolutely livid and terrified all at once, and was shaking her so violently that her brains felt like they had been stuffed in an electric blender for several hours.  
  
"Kelsey, the guard is coming. THE GUARD IS COMING," he hissed.  
  
Kel looked past the angry vampire. Clearly Burdette had managed to untie Colm's bonds, but Burdette herself languished upon the floor, still trying hopelessly to burn off her own bonds, but as they were the most magic resistant, it was clearly hard for her, especially with her strength dimmed.  
  
"What about Burdette?" Kel whispered in a low monotone.  
  
"I'll carry her. OK you take this," he said, pushing what unmistakably was a wooden stake into her grasp. "When the door opens, I'll go for him, and when he's down, you come in and stick that into his chest, around his heart."  
  
"What?" Kel exclaimed, forgetting to keep her voice down. "Colm I so cannot do this. I am not a fighter or anything and..."  
  
"Do you think I would be asking you to do this if there was any possible alternative?" he replied in irritation. "Burdette is out. Vampire girl is set to wake up any second now. We have to get out of here. Can you do this? I need backup and this is our one chance. Our only hope. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes," she said quietly, a look of determination on her face. "Just point me in the right direction and I'll be there."  
  
Kel realised that sounded very cheesy indeed. Her life was fast becoming one of those utterly implausible yet exciting horror movies. Well, at least they were very addictive to watch, and she was the heroine, right? Great. It was all good in theory, of course, but in real life it totally sucked. Honestly. She doubted anyone would believe her if she said this though.  
  
She weighed the stake in her hand idly, noting that it was very sharp and pointy. Good. She needed every advantage possible if she was realistically going to slay the guard. By the door, Colm braced himself. Probably he could hear the guard's footsteps, due to his vampiric senses and all, but Kel could hear nothing but silence and the faint, laboured breathing sounds of Burdette.  
  
This would be good practice if she were to get her revenge on Malachi Redfern effectively and easily. And if Jake turned out to be a bloodsucker then he too would be in for it.  
  
She could hear the footsteps now. Louder and louder they came, regular as a heartbeat. Sinister, slow and deadly. Her pulse echoed faster and faster in her head as adrenaline began to pump through her veins, making her tense, nervous and strangely excited all at once, even though she was dreading the encounter. Apart from the approaching guards feet, it was totally silent in the room.  
  
What was she thinking? She didn't even know what she was supposed to do, hardly. All that Kel knew was that she was very unprepared and generally unskilled in the arts of fighting and killing.  
  
Hardly useful and relevant information, was it?  
  
Then two things happened simultaneously.  
  
The foolproof iron door of the cell opened. Somebody stepped inside.  
  
Burdette began to scream, a sound of pure, unrestrained, pain-filled agony.  
  
Admirably, Colm launched himself at the man, who was knocked for six by this unexpected, violent and powerful attack. The body of the guard slammed to the wall, a stream of ruby red fluid dripping from his skull. But Kel was more concerned with Burdette. She found herself turning towards the witch.  
  
"Burdette are you OK..."  
  
And what she saw entirely frightened her out of her mind, rendering her speechless.  
  
It was Jess. Jess the vampire had risen from the dead. And she was feeding upon the rapidly failing Burdette, her face buried in the witch's bare neck. All around, Kel could see blood pouring from the girl's body in a never-ending river, a flood of crimson. Jess' hair was now scarlet in places. This was proof. Jess was no longer human. Kel could barely believe it. Her friend's arms were now sinewy and peculiarly powerful as they actually dug into the witch's limp, grey body. Burdette had stopped screeching and was now very, very still, her grey eyes like slabs of paving concrete on a rainy day.  
  
~ Kel! Now! Stake him! ~  
  
But she did not even notice Colm's telepathic message. She was mesmerised, hypnotised by this surreal vision. Colm snatched the stake from her yielding, motionless hands in anger, but Kel did not see or sense this in any way.  
  
Suddenly Jess looked up at her. Kel's eyes actually widened in horror at the grisly sight. Jess' eyes were darker and wider; almost pitch black, the pupils merged with the irises, a look of terrifying, dizzyingly feral madness alive in their expression. Her skin seemed lighter, more delicate in colour, but dazzlingly beautiful, almost carved out of ice. The long canines that jutted elegantly from her mouth were like a work of art in themselves. Her hair was like strands of sunshine, actually seeming to be made of light, so soft and silken. The paleness of the newly made vampire made for a stark and undeniable contrast with the blood smeared all over her face, her teeth, and her hair. Burdette's blood.  
  
Then, with a wolfish snarl, a hungry look in her eyes, Jess launched herself at Kel.  
  
Kel was fully aware of this, yet she stayed perfectly still, wishing with futile hope that Jess would come to her senses and remember her.  
  
"Jess it's me! Kel! Kelsey Murdoch, remember?"  
  
But Jess did not even pause for thought, hurtling towards Kel with a speed fuelled by her bloody, gory appetite, her eyes trained upon her throat.  
  
Kel would not move.  
  
Jess could not stop.  
  
Kel did not want to give up on her friend. To run would have been admitting that she was no longer the old Jess. She did not want to believe that Jess was a vampire.  
  
Jess was fuelled by bloodlust. If you had a pulse and were in the immediate area, you were as good as dead.  
  
Jess was literally inches from Kel when she found herself sliding away, moving faster than she had ever done before. Her eyes watered, the bare eyeballs stinging as fast-moving air rushed past them. The world became a vague blur visually, but she could still hear the feral screams of Jess. And then the sound of a door being slammed shut, and a dull thud. Finally, more wild, hungry screams, and squelching, tearing, violent sounds, very faint, but just about audible.  
  
When they had stopped, Kel rubbed her eyes and looked. They were in some corridor, dusky light pouring from a window that was quite far up ahead. The walls were just breeze-blocks, the floor poured concrete, covered in dust and other debris. They were out! Free! But not even that could make her forget what had just happened. Burdette... Jess... Gone forever.  
  
~ You OK? ~ Colm asked. Kel turned to face him. His face was ashen, grief plainly visible, his jaw taut, holding back some passionate emotion. The beautiful violet of his eyes was dimmed, and she could see tears, unshed, lingering there. Colm looked as messy, dirty, hurt and tired as she felt.  
  
Kel felt like laughing now. Or crying.  
  
"OK? Am I OK? Not even close," she murmured absently.  
  
Tears spilled unnoticed, making tracks in the dirt on her face. But inside, all she felt was overwhelming rage.  
  
Oh, the joy of freedom.  
  
Revenge better be sweeter than this.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kel is free,  
  
That is true,  
  
But Jake watch out,  
  
She's coming for you.  
  
As a final note,  
  
I must say,  
  
Please review,  
  
It makes my day!  
  
SEE IF YOU CAN MAKE IT OVER SEVEN REVIEWS! ^_^ It is a very long chapter though! 


	8. Getting Out

I'm baaaack! And still, I own nothing. Oh, and because there are a few (purely topical) Buffy references in this, I don't own that either. Saw the last episode incidentally, on Sky yesterday. Sniffle.  
  
Sorry for not updating in like, years! I am truly apologetic indeed. It was exams that forced me to stop. Right now I've got just one more to go - physics - so I can finish all my stories! I've decided to have a go at finishing this one first, because I think I know where it's going. Who needs physics anyway? ^^ Maths was the most horrible exam in the history of horrible exams. I just had to say that. So hard!  
  
Now I've returned and all, I'll need some encouragement! So don't forget to review after you've read it! I don't mind praise, flames, constructive criticism or anything else, though obviously I'd prefer nice stuff. And lots of it!  
  
Neoen: Lol. Rhyming rocks! Well (finally) here's the next chapter for ya.  
  
Tamashii: -_- Looks like I /was/ being greedy. I got 4 reviews for the last chapter, not more than 7. But that's good still! Sorry again for not updating in a long while.  
  
IceHeart161: Thanks!  
  
Daugain: Wow! So complimentary! And I agree, it's really hard to like originally made characters, and I'm glad you like mine!   
  
Please review! Doesn't have to be long or intellectual. Just give me your opinion of the story so far, and all that.  
  
This might be a bit bad, and a bit short. I'm getting back into the swing of things with this chapter.  
  
~ This is a telepathic message. Ain't it cuuute? ~  
  
Read on!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A feeling of icy coldness was slowly seeping into Kel's bones. It was a gradual process, gentle even, but inexorable in its slow leeching of her strength and feeling. She was freezing, but the source of the frostiness was not from a cruel wind or a sudden thunderstorm. It was in the air, the gas that hung there, almost impregnated with ice, a trap so flawlessly set in the long and stifling corridor. Every unwilling breath she took made her inhale the arctic numbness; everything she touched, saw and heard made her retreat into quiet, unfeeling stillness. The atmosphere was heavy and close, forcing her to shrink away from the outside world mentally, seeking space and warmth unconsciously as she wallowed in the cold confines of the hallway.  
  
Kel was unaware that she was even walking. She was shaking, partly because of the shivery chill, and partly because of the sheer shock of it all. Her body had shut down. That was actually a blessing in disguise. It was painful even to breathe, to feel blood pound in her veins, and to move, so what was it going to be like to think? That was unimaginable to Kel at this moment. So she put one foot in front of the other again and again, following Colm down the dusky path, eyes unseeing, body unfeeling.  
  
They were seeking a way out. Blindly searching for something, anything, that would help them escape.  
  
Colm glanced at the human girl quickly, not wanting her to notice the tears that lurked within his bright violet coloured eyes. The salty liquid made them shimmer and sparkle in an ethereal way, something that Kel usually would have picked up on had she not gone into her self-made hibernation. He was surprised to see that she was as still as a glacier, emotionless and expressionless, her eyes as bitterly cold as grass after a frosty night. Heck, she was handling it better than he was!  
  
Or not. Running a hand through his mousy coloured hair, Colm decided to sneak another peek at Kel. It just wasn't normal to be so quiet like that. The girl clearly needed some sort of help on an emotional level once they'd gotten away from this prison. At Daybreak HQ he vowed to sort her out. Poor kid. It was all too easy to forget that Kel had never heard of the Night World and all the rest of it until that fateful night two days ago. She was understandably traumatised. The hollow look on her face was truly ghastly, it reminded him of the expression carried by some of the Bloodmoon members when they had caught Burdette and him in Malachi Redfern's office. And actually, of Malachi Redfern himself, at some points, though he managed to keep it pretty well hidden. Colm was unsettled. Kelsey's expression just wasn't human. Her eyes were like emeralds - cold, hard stones. It was a clear indication of just how traumatised she must have been.  
  
Suddenly a pang of pure pain, of grief and longing, hit Colm again. These feelings mingled and rose in a huge wave of emotion, threatening to crush him. But physically, he tried to remain controlled, just as Kel was.  
  
~ Burdette... ~ He could not help it. His verbal, telepathic plea echoed in Kel's mind.  
  
Kel could not turn to face him. The pure, raw anguish expressed in that single word made Kel want to scream, to rip herself to shreds with the fury and the torture. Outwardly she kept motionless and calm.  
  
Drops of moisture rolled down her cheeks. Lots of them. Even she, in this frozen state, could not hold in so much emotion without letting some of it show. The tears... They served as an outlet, and it was the only one Kel would allow. Crying properly, really releasing emotions, that would come later, but not now. They weren't out of the woods yet.  
  
The odd pair continued down the dark, dank hallway, the smell of damp and mustiness becoming more and more evident as they went. Both of them were armed with the ever-present, ever-ridiculous stakes, but Kel didn't really feel like fighting off anything else. She was no warrior, and it would be ridiculous trying to battle entities that were bigger, stronger, faster and a lot more cunning than she was. She had never though of herself as a quitter, but maybe it was shock that was turning her into a coward.  
  
"Buffy would not be pleased with me at all..." she murmured quietly to herself, a tiny smile forming on her lips.  
  
Colm heard. He was glad. Humour was a good sign that she was warming up a bit. He chuckled quietly.  
  
"No she wouldn't. I think what you need is a pep talk," he deadpanned. His expression became twisted in disgust as he heard himself speak. He sounded... rough. Upset. But he couldn't telepathically communicate right now. His mind was a kaleidoscopic whirl of emotion, some of which was bound to show in his mental messaging. This was safer.  
  
"That's not necessary. I'm dangerously peppy already," Kel replied sarcastically. She found it very strange how she could simultaneously joke around with Colm in this forced manner and fall apart inside all at once. That took skill.  
  
Jess. Charlie. Burdette. The tears flooded her damp cheeks with even more fervour, and the huge lump of emotion lodged in her throat made her unable to continue the exchange.  
  
Colm saw the tears on Kel's face. He could even hear them as they fell, creating a delicate trail of tiny drips on the poured concrete flooring.  
  
They had to get out soon. There was probably a ton of guards lurking around this facility, armed, trained and dangerous. And, if push came to shove and they had to take some guards out, Colm doubted that Kel would survive, let alone be up to helping him, and that meant that the likelihood of him surviving were quite slim indeed. The longer they stayed, the bigger the risk became. Conscious of this looming fact, Colm increased his walking pace.  
  
As Colm took off, Kel noticed the window. She hadn't even realised it was there until she had walked past it. She retraced her steps and examined it with a little more attention. It was sizeable, and the panes of glass were already somewhat cracked and weak-seeming. Spiders had decorated the transparent surface with delicate, grime-etched webbings.  
  
"Colm. Window?" she said loudly, her voice sounding thin, high pitched and stretched taut as it echoed in the dim corridor. Also, it carried an uncharacteristic ring of terror that made her shudder. Kel had never used such a fearful tone before. Also, she decided that her grammar was terrible. What would they say back at The Sound?  
  
She stood there for a second, immersed in the creepy cold stillness of the hall, realising that she could not see another soul, that she was alone...  
  
Then she heard his voice.  
  
"Run." The single staccato syllable sounded, shocking in it's harsh brutality, then a deluge of footsteps reverberated around the small, slim area of the corridor.  
  
Kel was no vampire. Her sense of vision was severely impaired by the surrounding darkness, and even the light from the window, letting in watery evening sunlight, did little to help her see what was going on.  
  
But she assumed that Colm was being chased.  
  
It was kind of obvious.  
  
Kel supposed she should be running already. It was strange how detached she had become. The numbness had crept up on her, blessed and cold, and for that she was glad. Throwing histrionics and having a hysterical fit was not what was needed right now. Though she wanted to let go so much, to release the burden of responsibility, to forget for a while, her desires would have to wait to be fulfilled.  
  
Maybe it was all the pent-up angst, but she didn't actually want to run. Abandoning Colm? That was not on her to-do list. Sure she didn't even know the guy really, but he was a good person, and maybe, just maybe, she could help. Who knew? Perhaps this sharp old stake of hers would see some action today...  
  
Kel speculated on the fact that she was doing her usual rambling random- thought thing, as she always did when something slightly life-threatening came up on the agenda.  
  
She could hear the heavy breathing now.  
  
"RUN!" Colm screamed desperately. "GET OUT OF HERE!" He was close by.  
  
The beginnings of a plan were starting to take shape, to materialise in her emotionally numb mind.  
  
"How many?" she yelled back to him shakily. Every minute, every second, they got closer.  
  
"Two! Vampires!"  
  
Great. That was a manageable number. And at least she'd had 'experience' in the arts of vampire-killing. Had they been werewolves or witches or any other strange indefinable creatures, Kel would have been lost.  
  
Let's face it, she was lost anyway. Species was unimportant. She was a human, and a weak one at that. She was toast. With marmalade.  
  
Kel wondered whether she was sane. Marmalade? Where did that come from? Then, swiftly and abruptly, she pressed herself close to the corridor wall, squatting upon the floor on the darker, shadowy side. Every fibre of her being was solely concentrated upon judging the distance between herself and Colm's pursuers. Every line and muscle was taut with readiness. Her jaw was clenched almost painfully, her teeth grinding together, but Kel was unaware of it. Time seemed to stand still, only punctuated by the beating of footsteps upon concrete. She didn't breathe, or think, or speak, or move. She just waited.  
  
What was she going to do? Kel had a half-formed plan in her head. The problem was that there wasn't time to allow it to develop, for her to make sense of it. So, she let her instincts take over. They knew what she was doing better than she did. Hopefully, they would come through. She relinquished control of her body to her sixth sense, and desperately trusted in herself. Who else was there left?  
  
Her head was turned towards the sounds. They were unbearably close, almost within visual range...  
  
Colm. He knew she was there, and yet he ran past at an impossible pace. Her eyes watered as he sped past, as fast as lightning and just as graceful. His face... He looked angry, but sad too, and maybe hopeful? Too many emotions in too little time.  
  
Guard number one.  
  
And then, completely out of the blue, Kel swung her leg round and stuck it into the path of the guard. Why she did it was a mystery. But she did.  
  
The guard was unable to stop. This unprecedented, unexpected obstacle had taken him by surprise, and he was going to pay. He quite literally flew several feet into the air, and landed flat on his face.  
  
It was as if it wasn't really Kel controlling her body, but some super- woman fighter lady who had a nasty kind of temper. Strange, that. She felt herself stand up swiftly and gracefully, go over to the guard, and grab a handful of his silky brown hair in a vicious manner, digging fingernails into the scalp. The man yelped. Kel knew she had to act quickly. Pugnaciously, she lifted his skull several inches off the ground, bending his neck into an uncomfortable position, judging by the cracking noises it made. Then she slammed his face into the floor. She held the stake in the other hand. Calmly, she shoved it into his back, around the heart area, she estimated.  
  
But before she had a chance to blink, somebody forced her down on top of the presumably defeated vampire guard. A strong somebody. Kel remembered the existence of a second guard, tasting the bitterness of defeat and failure in her mouth as her eyeballs were shoved into the dead guy's back. Typical. Finally she did something really kick-ass and Buffylike, only to be killed straight after. This is not supposed to happen!  
  
Then the weight suddenly increased, and Kel felt the air in her lungs rush out involuntarily, leaving her chest cavity strangely empty and painful. She was sure a few ribs were cracking. Then, the pressure was gone, and somebody was hauling her upright. But she couldn't see whether this was good news or bad, due to having squashed eyeballs and all.  
  
But soon she recognised the violet eyes and quizzical expression of Colm. With a completely spontaneous act of relief, she launched herself into his arms and gave him a friendly hug.  
  
"My favourite vampire in the entire world!" she grinned in silliness, her face buried in his shoulder.  
  
You could tell that Colm was extremely uneasy about this. He fidgeted and squirmed, but initially Kel didn't notice. She was so damn happy that her ebullience made all her social constraints and politeness fade away. After several moments, Kel realised that this was not a good idea, and pulled away, determinedly looking at her feet.  
  
What was she doing? Kel reminded herself that she hardly knew the guy. And he was a vampire. Who in hell would willingly hug a vampire?  
  
The silence stretched on like one of those stories that are supposed to be funny but are actually completely crap. It was enough to make Kel cringe. The atmosphere was thicker than her own stupid skull. The embarrassment she felt was immeasurable.  
  
"Ouch!" she muttered, clutching her squished-up ribs, in an effort to break the silence. She looked down at them, feeling the blush creeping up into her cheeks. Her long dark hair fell into her face - the old shield working like a charm as ever.  
  
"There's a door just down here," Colm said after a few moments pause. "It's got to be easier than that window, right?"  
  
Kel looked up at him. Shit! Was he blushing too? No, it was too dark to tell, and he was making his escape already.  
  
Wondering at this strange reaction, Kel followed him wordlessly. She felt herself falling back into isolation, and now, for the first time, she was trying to fight it. Maybe it was a bit masochistic of her, but she felt that embracing and accepting the pain would be better than blocking it out. She felt herself relent slightly to the numbness. Now was not the time to 'let go' of emotions.  
  
But it was the overwhelming anger that was threatening to tear her apart. She was so furious at it all. But in particular, those two people. Jake Tremaine and Malachi Redfern. They had to pay. To even the score. To absolve the deaths of three good people.  
  
The pain, well, it was never going to go away. It would fade, maybe, one day in the dim and distant future, but scars of the heart never heal. And that was what scared her the most. Because it was the pain that fuelled the rage which made her want revenge. And the fuel was always going to be there. Suddenly, she wondered if it was worth it. It was a small lapse in her vengeful focus, and soon it was quashed and obliterated, but it signified that perhaps she could stop before she did something regrettable. Perhaps.  
  
As she stepped into the evening light, Kel got a sudden head rush. The light made her wince; her eyes not used even this dull dusky brightness. The feeling of clean, fresh air upon her skin was delightful.  
  
As she looked around, Kel took in the less than wonderful scenery. It was a ramshackle, derelict industrial area, judging by the empty warehouses, graffiti, rubbish and filth that festooned the place. It had the general air of a junkyard, but far less respectable. The very fact that Malachi Redfern and his minions had decided to take over the vicinity made it even more dirty.  
  
"Ah, the beauty of freedom," sighed Kelsey in amusement, feeling more drained than ever before. She felt her legs buckle, but forced herself to keep her dignity and remain upright.  
  
"Quite. Need a ride?" he asked with a wry smile, pointing to an abandoned truck that was less than impressive.  
  
"Hell yeah," muttered Kel in disgust as they walked together to the vehicle. "This is so going to damage my reputation..."  
  
"What reputation?"  
  
"Shut up, fang boy. We going to Daybreak?"  
  
Kel sensed Colm's face crumpling even before she saw it. It was going to be tough on him, telling all his friends that Burdette was gone. She cursed herself for even mentioning it, but then, it would do no good really, skirting round the subject.  
  
"Yeah," he said slowly.  
  
"OK," she replied quietly, feeling the familiar anguished sorrow begin to torture her mind again.  
  
***  
  
Unbeknownst to the pair of fortunate escapees, a figure watched them, standing near a sleek black limousine. A person that Kel would have been /glad/ to see.  
  
He chuckled darkly as he observed the merry little scene unfold behind anonymous, expensive dark glasses. But, he took care to remain unobserved. That was vital.  
  
Sighing with annoyance, he rolled his eyes. Let them run to Daybreak. Why not? In the end it would mean more blood for him. Blood laced with magic and power. And the more the merrier, right? It was rude not to invite everybody to his party... He was not a rude man, as a rule.  
  
Also, he didn't know if he could be bothered to chase up the pathetic pair. It would be far too boring. Not worth the trouble.  
  
He would enjoy slitting the girl's throat eventually, watching her spirit fade into the dust. How had she, a mere vermin brat, managed to evade him? The man frowned deeply. That had been a flaw. Men like him were not known to slip up in such a drastic way. He should have known it was a mistake, throwing her in the cell with the Daybreakers. Without them she would have been helpless, and that was not the idea at all. Maybe he shouldn't have healed her...  
  
But he didn't want her to die, just like that.  
  
That would have been way too easy.  
  
He knew just how fun it was to be the cat playing with the doomed mouse. And the mouse is always more interesting if it believes it can escape.  
  
That vermin was a pretty one though.  
  
"Honey?" a female voice trilled from the depths of the limo. "Can't we /go/ already? You said the mall. You /promised/!"  
  
He snorted. Anything to keep the women happy. This blonde was worth it though, though not worth all the trouble that the green-eyed kid was. He couldn't wait 'til Jake saw his newest plaything.  
  
He lingered a moment more. They had managed to get the truck in working order, it seemed, for they were now driving away, the sound of old worn tyres skidding on rough gravely tarmac.  
  
"Come /on/ Malachi!"  
  
He went.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I can't decide whether this chapter was exciting or boring. You tell me! REVIEW! Please! I need some support! Seriously, I just can't cope without those wise words of encouragement. Even hateful stuff would help me improve my writing! But I would then also be miserable. So don't be too harsh!  
  
Grief and revenge,  
  
They kill what is true,  
  
So Kelsey watch out,  
  
Someone's after you.  
  
And as a final word,  
  
This heartfelt plea,  
  
Review this story,  
  
And I'll be happy!  
  
Hmm. The rhyming couplets strike again!  
  
But I'm glad about this chapter. I feel really into The Dark Sound now! This was only supposed to be a small little filler chapter, and look! It's grown into a big bad monster. Lol.  
  
REVIEW! Thanks for taking the time to read this! I appreciate it heaps! 


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